Blessed Beginnings
by ValenBelladonna
Summary: One step can change the course of someone's life. Cory has one goal; running. She's stuck under her mother's cruel roof and her father's alcoholism has caused her dreams of art to go down the drain. That is until she ends up in a fictional small town in Virginia facing the inevitable forces of the supernatural. She won't let them suffer. She'll save them. Even if it means goodbye.
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter One_

Cory Jameson curled her fingers through her straight gold blonde hair, from her roots, all the way to the tips that stopped at her elbow. She was late for her senior year of high school. The school would more than likely call, and she prayed her mother wouldn't pick up the phone. Cory didn't need the added anger when she felt so down. She just needed to finish the semester as quick as possible and she'd be graduating by the end of February. Which hopefully meant getting away from here.

Anywhere but here. It was the only reason she got up in the morning. The only goal Cory had for her life.

Cory didn't bother with a hairbrush and glided into the bathroom next to her bedroom. Her bedroom could only fit a three-drawer dresser made of cheap (mostly plastic looking wood) and a single bed with worn sheets. She didn't have a comforter. It didn't bother Cory. Even the cold Wisconsin winters didn't faze her. She'd rather freeze to death than ask her mother for anything.

Slipping into the bathroom she paused to look at the greasy floor length bathroom mirror. Grey indifferent eyes stared back, but if anyone looked for more than a few seconds they would see it.

They would see the defeat.

Cory sighed and turned away from the bathroom mirror in her mother's house and glanced sluggishly around the small room. Simple ceramic toilet and bathtub with a shower. White walls and white tiles with a lone double pane window. It was like a psychiatric ward on TV without the literal metal bars. At least those places helped people get better.

This house. It only knew how to belittle everyone within it.

Pain burned her wrist, the bruises in the shape of her mother's hand came to view when she scooted her black hoodie sleeve up. For a moment she was mesmerized by the silver scars that dragged across her wrists and forearms. Anyone could tell what they were and who they came from. Some darker scars were from…Attempts.

_Deep breaths_. Cory told herself, but the words flew around her head, weaker than ones that whispered harshly. Her eyes landed back to the mirror, a dark bruise under her left eye, her right eye dark from exhaustion. _Why does she hate me?_

Tears trickled down her high cheekbones.

Cory took in herself. An action she hadn't done in a long time. She was thinner than she remembered, and she was half tempted to step on the scale behind the door. _What would be the point? She knew the problem._ Her mother had said she was getting too big. She took it upon herself to 'help' Cory. Her black hoodie, that she remembered being form-fitting, hung loosely around her, and the skinny jeans she was wearing seemed to be a size larger than she remembered. _What happened to my thighs?_

Cory had always been curvy. Ever since she had hit puberty at twelve. Her thighs helped carry it. Her shoulders were broad due to the large chest she supported.

All of her seemed to be smaller, a wish she had when being backed in a corner, not when she looked in the mirror.

At least her father's friends might leave her alone for once.

The sleeping pills eyed her from the sink. It had been opened and next to them sat a razor blade. Cory didn't have it in her to do _it_ here. Her mother would find her again and save her out of pure _love_ and _goodness_ of her heart. Out of the corner of her eye through the bathroom window, she saw something dart to the forest outside of her mother's house.

"What-?" Cory marched to the window and watched the woods. Her eyes narrowed in on a cluster of leaves that swirled, and she could've sworn she'd seen a figure run deeper into the woods down the path.

"Might as well check it out," She grumbled under her breath, pulled down the sleeve of her black hoodie, while taking two steps at a time, down the stairs to the back door. She passed the living room with her father's poker table (a foldable table with four matching chairs) barely acknowledging the loveseat and armchair by a flat screen TV. Plain walls and plain hardwood led her to the kitchen.

Tan tiles littered the floor, the ceiling popcorned from the seventies, and plain cupboards lined the grey painted walls. The fridge stood off to the side near the four-seat dining table, across from it the sink was overflowing with dirty dishes, and the oven remained near it. A black old appliance that her mother used for frozen meals. That was the extensiveness of her cooking.

She recalled a time that her Gran homecooked when she spent the night at her cozy cottage. Cookies and different Italian meals that she didn't remember the names of.

Cory missed her.

Before trapezing through the woods, Cory made sure her Gran's ring was still on her left ring finger, a silver ring that had two gemstones swirling together in black and white. She remembered her mother trying to sell it after they had gone to a pawn shop and they told her that the stones were in fact diamonds. Her mother threw a fit when she found out her mother had given her daughter diamonds instead of her.

And it was also the last thing Cory had of the only person who expressed love to her.

Her feet carried her to the backyard, empty with green grass covered in old autumn leaves, the dark blue fence wrapped around the blue paneled house with its gate leading directly to the forest. The outside was eerily quiet, usually, the birds would be chirping, or squirrels scattering to get away from any intruders. Not even the leaves scraped the forest floor. Cory moved passed the gate and stepped foot into the silent woods.

Carefully maneuvering through the trees; the clear path she knew seemed to slowly disappear. A quick turn behind her made her realize that the house she dreaded consistently in her life vanished. A high-pitched noise invaded her ears.

"AHHHH." Cory clamped her hands over her ears, the noise didn't cease, instead, a bright white light pained her eyes so much that she squeezed them shut. Her aching eyes poured tears down her cheeks. A voice demanded to be heard.

_Was it above her? Or was it below her?_ Cory couldn't tell. She could barely tell if she was still in the woods outside her mother's house. She couldn't tell if she was standing, sitting, existing…The ground she couldn't feel it beneath her feet. _Which way was up? Which way was down?_

"CORDELIA!" The voice sounded like thousands of voices. They were chanting her name. The name her mother called her by. The name she despised as she grew. Once it had been called lovingly by her Gran. Now it reminded her of how much it scared her.

"ANDROMEDA!" Cory shook her head with her hands still clamped tight to her ears to block out the violating sound. She tried to scream out, but a whimper left her trembling pink lips.

"JAMESON!"

"Stop!" Her plea was ignored. The voices reaching a level of ear-piercing she had never witnessed before.

"CORDELIA ANDROMEDA JAMESON! FREE. BLESSED. FREE BE THE BLESSED!" The way they said it. Her full name. It was happiness. Blessed? Not even the normal 'bless her heart' kind of blessed. Like they were saying bless and then the name Ed. _What is a 'Blessed'?_

"I d-don't get it."

"FREE? FREE?" Her body broke into tremors of shaking she couldn't control. The voices sounded like they were singing or praising her as if whoever they were, they were pleased to see her. Suddenly, the voices dropped in volume but continued in dripping enthusiastic tones.

"WHERE? WHERE?"

"Anywhere." It left her lips breathlessly. "Anywhere, but here." If Cory could get away. Get away from her mother, from her father, from his friends, and from everyone. Being away from here was her freedom.

"SEND HOME. HOME. TO ALL MOTHER. TO LIFE. TO DEATH. TO NATURE. PRAISE THE BLESSED!" The shaking ended. Cory felt her knees touch grass, her hands caught her from falling, and her eyes blinked open, draining away the light that had blinded her. Instead, she could make out a car, the headlights glaring in her peripheral vision and in front of her was a worn sign with simple words. Words that sent a shiver down her back. _There was no way_.

WELCOME TO MYSTIC FALLS.

Fuck her life. This is where those voices sent her? The Vampire Diaries? By her luck Cory was going to die the minute Stefan and Damon waltzed into town. By being hit by a car or something, not even a supernatural occurrence. A more important question fell on her. Why was it the middle of the night when it had been morning before she had world jumped? _When had world jumping become normal for her? Focus. __Cory told herself. __I can handle this…Hopefully._

"Cory, are you alright? Are you injured?" Sheriff Elizabeth Forbes, with her short blonde hair and her clean-cut police uniform, knelt in front of her, her voice filled with worry. The car, Cory could see now, on the side said Mystic Falls Police.

"I-I think so." Cory's body shuddered. "I'm-I'm not injured."

"Alright," Liz's radio beeped, and a voice came through, and Cory's head spun from dizziness. "Cory, can you stand?"

"I-I," she shook her head, "I need a moment and then I think, I think I might-" her voice trailed off. _Wait, she knew my name._ "You know me?" Liz's eyes widened.

"Cory, you know who I am don't you?" Cory could see her panic and confusion. It showed by the clenching of her jaw and the slight shaking of her head.

"Yes," Cory couldn't tell her the truth, she didn't even know what was going on, "I don't know how you know me." Liz nodded.

"Caroline. You and Caroline are best friends. Cory, tell me you remember her."

"Yeah, I do." She was friends with Caroline Forbes. _The_ Caroline Forbes! And they were best friends! Cory didn't even remember having actual real friends. Friends who didn't betray her after knowing her for a month. Friends that didn't shove her head in the girl's toilets to gain popularity from the cheerleaders at school.

"You might have a concussion, can you try sitting up, Cor?" _Cor? Was that a nickname she had here?_ She sat up and her vision was swirly until it evened out and she could finally see straight.

"I think I'm okay to get all the way up." Cory breathed, Liz reached for her arm and hauled her to her feet. It was a weird feeling. To be in a world you've only seen on a TV screen. Cory doubted she'd get used to it.

"What happened? Did someone hurt you? Did they leave you out here?" The sound of someone worried about her safety made her stomach flip flop and her heart flutter in her chest. Cory couldn't remember the last time someone had been worried about her. No, she did. Gran. Before she died when she was seven, eleven years ago, it was also the last time someone touched her without the intention to harm her.

"I don't know. My mother. And I think so." Cory couldn't think of a lie to come up with and she really didn't want to lie to Sheriff Forbes as much as she knew she'd end up doing. Liz helped her get into the passenger side of the cruiser and her arms stretched behind her towards the ceiling. Immediately, Cory's body tensed, and she kept her gaze on Liz's arm. The car's inside light flickered on. Liz smiled at her. Her eyes were filled with things she didn't remember being directed at her before. Warmth. Kindness. Concern.

"Cory, do you remember what happened before you got to the house?"

"House?"

"You're staying with Caroline and me. Your biological parents live in Texas, do you not remember?" _Biological parents?_ Liz gave her a sympathetic look. Cory opened her mouth and shut it. Liz took it as an answer, and she was glad she did. There wasn't anything else to say about the subject.

"You don't, do you? Alright, stay right here, I need to report in and then we'll go to the hospital. I can get Gray-Dr. Gilbert to look at you." Liz rubbed her forehead, a habit of tiredness or frustration, Cory couldn't tell. _Maybe both. _Liz pulled out her radio and began speaking.

_Alright so no vampires, yet, that meant she had the opportunity to stop the crash from happening._ But if Elena's parents live that stops the entirety of the show. That meant that almost everything would be prevented from happening.

It meant that Katerina would find Elena, the moonstone, a vampire, and a werewolf to give to Klaus to bargain for her freedom.

Cory realized quickly that if she was going to be in this world. She was going to protect and save as many people as she could. Even if she died in the process. In the end, she would be sent back to her world if she died, right? _But being dead in a dream could kill you in real life._ She'd happily save someone's life even if it killed her.

Besides, this was a chance to change the timeline. Prevent deaths and keep everyone happy. Which included not sacrificing everyone for one person. Elena. Of course, she wanted to help her, but letting people die just because Damon and Stefan were hopelessly in love with her and didn't care who paid the price while slowly convincing everyone around them that it was completely okay was not the way to go about it. It was going to help that she knew how to save everyone due to her foreknowledge.

Cory was going to try to keep people from turning (like Caroline even though her character development revolved around it). She also planned to stop some deaths that weren't needed. Stopping Damon from being Mega Douche of the year and not to mention helping Stefan get off his bunny diet.

The Mikaelsons. That was a can of worms. _Let Klaus have a kid or tell him before it happens?_

The real battle was getting anyone to believe when she told them about being from a different world and knowing them as fictional TV characters. Stefan and Elijah would at least hear her out before ripping her heart out. If she was lucky. And Cory was not lucky at all. If there was a single rock on the sidewalk, a small chance of getting it in her shoe, it would hop right into hers.

"Cory?" Her head snapped up, her grey eyes meeting warm brown ones, Liz gave her a reassuring smile. "Let's get you to the hospital. I called Dr. Gilbert and he might know what's going on." Right the vampire torturer. _Eww._ Instead of voicing her inner thoughts, Cory nodded her head and slid further into the car, buckling her seat belt while waiting for Liz to get into the driver's side.

_Here we go._ Somehow Cory doubted this was the last she'd be at the hospital in this world.

* * *

"Cory, it's good to see you, how are you feeling?" Dr. Gilbert gave her a grin and motioned for her to sit on the checkup bed. They had reached Mystic Falls Hospital quickly and they immediately walked into one of the checkup rooms. Cory held back her awe to not be so weirdly out of place. Though she doubted she could keep it up for long.

"I feel fine." Cory eyed his hands as he gripped his clipboard. She noted the distance between them and calculated subconsciously how quick she could get away if he tried something. The door wasn't far from the checkup bed. Maybe a minute at the most? If she dashed unexpectedly. He'd be too surprised to react that fast, right?

"Where did the black eye come from?" Cory inhaled a breath and prepared a response.

"My mother," Liz and Grayson shared a look.

"Rachel?" Liz spoke softly. Cory still flinched and nodded numbly. Somehow Liz knew her life, including apparently her biological parents. _Did that mean she was adopted?_

"I'll make a few calls, while you answer Grayson's questions, okay sweetie?" Cory nodded and thanked Liz as she left the room. Now she was alone with someone who worked with that damn society.

"Do you know who I am, Cory?" Yeah, a morally grey character who was convinced that torturing and killing morally grey vampires was the perfect way to live. _What an ass._ She was sorry Elena had to find out by reading in the journals, but Cory supposed catching him torturing vampires would be much, _much_ worse.

"Yeah, you're Grayson Gilbert."

"Good, Good," He looked down at the papers he had. "Alright, you know who my daughter is?" _Do you mean your niece?_

"Elena Gilbert."

"Okay, how do you know her?" Cory wasn't sure she wanted to tell him about the whole world changing_ fictional and later dead _conversation.

"We've never met." He nodded and watched her for a moment. Cory shifted where she sat and glanced around the room. It felt too small and it was harder to catch her breath.

"Cory," Grayson gently laid his hand against hers, her left one laying on the hospital checkup bed, she jolted at the touch and did her best to feign calmness. Not daring to move even though her heart hammered against her chest.

"I think you are suffering from Amnesia, a specific type that involves the loss of knowing your relationships with the people you know. You know them, but you don't remember why or how you know them." Honestly going with that was a good idea, she wasn't sure how else to put it other than revealing the truth. The crazy world jumping thing. The big huge elephant in the room that only Cory could see. She nodded her head and Grayson excused himself from the room.

Alright, the first plan was to hopefully get a shower and some food. She was hungry after world jumping for the first time. Then she'd find a way to save Grayson and Miranda. Then she'd figure out how to contact someone who could help her. Sheila? Brie? Hell, she'd even go to New Orleans to get some answers. She needed to write down a time to go save Davina before the Harvest.

Suddenly a vibration rushed over her, and her head felt…weird. She couldn't describe the feeling that winded her breathing. Cory had no control over it. She just barely managed to lay herself down before her vision darkened and she slipped into a pitch-black foggy forest.

"Hello, my daughter, I've waited for this moment." A masculine voice called behind her. Cory spun to face a tall male figure made of leaves. Green and autumn colored leaves. It wasn't her father. _Not the one she may have been adopted by at least._

"I'm sorry, I-,"

"I know, Blessed, but soon. At this moment, I cannot allow you to change the timeline to be so, what is the right word, diverted."

"Wait, did you send me here?"

"I've wanted to send you away from that treacherous mother and father that took you from the family I gave you to. I was not allowed. Fate doesn't want me to meddle any further into their plans. Karma thought it was a good way to force a change on those two." Cory's thoughts flung from one place to another.

"You, you're my father? My actual real-life father?"

"Yes, I apologize, my daughter. I am Life. I serve Nature and the Balance besides Fate, Karma, and Death. Fate has tasked me in informing you that, due to Nature and the Balance, I cannot let you move the timeline as you have planned. You have to keep it near its original path to the best of your ability." Cory shook her head. Let people die? Let everyone fight only to lose in the end? _Not happening._

"All those people? They'll die, their lives will be miserable, how am I going to help anyone near me if I can't change anything? How can I lie to people who are my friends? How can I look at someone and tell them everything is going to be fine when it's all a lie!" Hot tears poured over her cheeks; it wasn't fair. Human, vampire, or hybrid. Cory just wanted the timeline to give people happier ends. Life sighed softly and gave her a soft look? Cory couldn't tell he was made of leaves.

"I understand your frustration, Cory. Fate will cause you to lose consciousness each time you try to change the timeline to an extreme that they cannot allow."

"They can't tell me, like a message, a voice?" Life paused.

"I can ask on your behalf, but I cannot guarantee a change of decision. They have much to see and attend to, with Death, Karma, and I." Cory nodded.

"When I wake up will-,"

"Fate has asked we keep you asleep until a turning point passes over."

"Miranda and Grayson driving off of Wickery Bridge," She whispered. Fate knew she had wanted to stop it.

"The supernatural switch that attracts the attention of, the night creatures, the slaves of the moon, and the servants of nature."

"And everything in between." Cory reminded, her Dad she supposed, before taking in her surroundings. _'Fate was asked we keep you asleep' We?_ "There's a 'we'?"

"Death and I." It was obvious the surprise on her face was noticeable as he laughed.

"Where are we anyway?" She smiled softly, feeling warm and safe in his presence. Cory hadn't even realized they were about two feet away from each other until now. It was nice. It was comforting and reminded her of her Gran. Cory felt like she ate a brick. Shaking her head, she stared at her Dad expectantly.

"This is the Edge. A place that is not of Life, but not of Death. We tend to meet here. To discuss Nature and the Balance."

"Is it as strict and limited as witches say it is?" Life gave her a smile. She still didn't know what his intention was, and she couldn't read him. He was a figure made of leaves after all.

"Yes and No. Depending on how Fate and Karma decide, the witch will then feel what they will stop or allow. You are the exception to those feelings; to that ruling. Cory, you are my daughter, the Blessed, they have to give you some leeway as your presence is unpredictable to the timeline, they will give, or they will take."

"What is a Blessed? I mean it can't be special, not really, nothing has ever happened around me or anything. So, I'd guess I'm not a type of witch or werewolf."

"You are special. You are a child of Life and Death. Two things that are only allowed to create and destroy once in their existence. We created you."

"What was destroyed?" Life sighed. It was clear to see that he didn't enjoy talking about what he was going to tell her.

"Despite us creating you, we were not allowed to bring you up. To teach you of the world, to mold you how we wanted. Maybe it was a moment of selfishness for us to create you."

"I don't think it was selfish. You obviously wanted to create me. You sound proud." He gave her a smile that she felt was fond and full of affection.

"We are proud of you, Cory. We were never allowed to know you until your abilities flared and you became the Blessed." A shaking raked over the forest.

"Dad-," Cory began.

"I wish we had more time. You need to leave, Cory," her eyes shot to him as he disappeared and reappeared beside her. He looked feminine now. Maybe it would be easier to call him (she?) her parent rather than her Dad. _They are my parent/guardian._ Cory decided.

"But-,"

"We will talk in your dreams. You will forever return here when you sleep. One visitation to the Edge does this. Do not fret, your abilities involve visions, whether for giving or taking, it is all on your intention. It will always be about your intention, Cory. Wake up, my daughter, I wish you good luck."

* * *

Wherever Cory woke up it was bright. Not as blinding as her world jumping from before. Bright enough to irritate her eyes. _God, what has her life become? When has world jumping become a norm for her?_ There was beeping to her right. And her eyes fell on a heart monitor.

"Oh my god! You're awake, how are you? Horrible question. I'm so glad you're okay. I came here to tell you what happened to Elena and her parents, Cor. I missed you so much!" Caroline Forbes, in her bright bubbly glory, sat beside her in one of the hospital chairs. Her blonde hair was beautiful and wavy with her pretty blue-green eyes gazing at her full of excitement. She wore skinny jeans and a yellow blouse that tied at the front with a cute brown jacket to complete it. Cory smiled despite barely remembering them being best friends. She had always wanted a best friend.

"It's really good to see you, Care. I missed you too." She beamed at that and scooted the chair closer. Cory furrowed her brows, pretending to be confused, "you mentioned Elena, is she okay?" Caroline's eyes widened,

"So, Elena went to a party and, you know how she feels about the whole Matt thing. They got into a fight, which you know, she doesn't want to talk about getting married and the future. Anyway, they broke up, she called her parents to pick her up and then they drove off Wickery Bridge. Elena's okay, but her parents…" Her eyes were soft and sad showing how empathetic she was. _Why didn't the show talk about this part of her more when she was human?_

"Oh, that's awful, have you talked to her?" Cory pushed as much sadness into her voice. She was a bit desensitized due to seeing it on TV. _Was that believable?_

"A little, she's really quiet and I had to go to Cheer Camp with Bonnie, so we haven't talked much."

"How long have I been here?"

"Four months, they said you had Amnesia, specifically that you couldn't remember our friendship or living with me and my mom. Or anyone you know, which is weird, isn't it?" Cory grinned at her.

"Yeah, I hate that I can't remember it, but I can't wait to make more memories and spend time with you." Cory was excited for spending time with her favorite characters. Caroline was one of her favorites. She had a specific few she kept close to her heart. Caroline was one of them, despite her strong dislike of Damon for a long time, Cory still adored and really didn't blame her. This time she wasn't going to let Damon compel and feed off her. It was nonconsensual when you really thought about it, but for some reason, no one talked about it later, just for those episodes in it. _No one's going to hurt Caroline on her watch._

"That's the Cory we all know and love!" Caroline giggled as she grabbed her arm excitedly. Then she froze.

"Oh my god, I was supposed to tell, Dr. Fell and my mom when you woke up. I'll be right back! Stay awake. School is in a week and I need you to be there." Caroline darted out of the room and Cory realized this was it. She was stuck in the Vampire Diaries. One of her favorite TV shows with her favorite characters. She grinned to herself this was better than her life had ever been, and she'd only been here for twenty-four hours. Technically. Kind of. Oh well, she was going to enjoy it. And OCD over making a plan to save as many people as she could. _Here we go!_


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey,_ thanks for reading if you got this far! I'm really doing this because I have an obsession and I love writing._**

**_Thank you for the favorites and the following! I am going to update as often as I can._**

**_Special thanks to:_**

**_htrhetht: Yes, Cory will save Kol, Finn, and Sage from being killed. It really irritates me that they got the upper hand on an Original. They're supposed to be thousand years old and super powerful. So, Cory's plan is to stop as much death and suffering that she can. She'll stop the Harvest too. Mostly she'll make sure no one gets sacrificed so Marcel can't control New Orleans the way he does with Davina as his magic radar. _****_ On the Klaus front...I was sort of planning on them being together later in the story when he shows up. I was actually in the process of...adding a bit of something to introduce people a little quicker. Is she going to get pregnant instead of Hayley? I don't know. Work in progress really. I'd say it is a 70% chance. Thank you for reviewing and I hope you keep reading!_**

* * *

_ Chapter Two_

Cory moved behind Jenna to grab the pancake batter. She had spent most of the week catching up with the people she 'knew'. The first three days she hung out with everyone but the Gilberts. The rest of her time she had shown up at their house to help Jenna with dinner and spoke to the three of them. Jenna was as cool as Cory remembered her being. _Wait until Alaric gets here_. She thought to herself as she poured a generous amount of batter to the griddle. That was the last of it. _Finally_.

"Thank you again for this week, Cor. You've been so sweet." Jenna touched her shoulder and gave her a warm smile. This was overwhelming. Having people touch her so much without it causing her pain. It was even more surprising to learn that they liked her. Everyone she knew in this world liked her. Cory's mother never seemed to care or look at her twice. She was always a burden in her eyes.

"It's no problem, Jenna. I like cooking and you guys could use someone to help a bit around here. I'm sure Lena and Jer don't mind it either." Nicknames were her thing. Apparently, Cory was the one who originated the nicknames of everyone in their group. Tyler was the one who came up with Cor. It was when Matt and the two of them went hiking through the woods in fifth grade and he bet her that she couldn't climb a tall oak tree faster than him. Cory ended up being faster, but she fell a few feet when she reached the top, Tyler had screamed out, and thus the nickname stuck. Even when she could've broken a bone she hadn't. _Luck or Fate? Or Karma?_

"It's all about the coffee, Aunt Jenna." Elena teased slipping through the kitchen with a soft grin. Cory pouted and dramatically exclaimed,

"Lena! It's not just about the coffee!" the doppelgänger laughed and poured herself a mug. Cory took Jenna's empty plate, "Jens, don't you have a meeting with your Thesis Adviser?"

"Damn!" The older woman scattered around the kitchen for her work items.

"Is there coffee?" Jeremy popped in with a sleepy expression.

"Yep," Cory shook her head, turned to flip the last pancake, imagining Jeremy taking Elena's mug as he did on the show.

"Crap, your first day of school and I'm totally unprepared," she groaned, undoing her ponytail quickly. "Thanks, Cor. You're a blessing." Cory paused at the words. _You have no idea, Jenna_. "You three be good and have a nice first day. Lunch money." She slapped some money on the table and called out before exiting the house, "be careful!" Cory handed out breakfast to the two. Jeremy thanked her and stuffed his mouth full. She giggled at the sight. Ignoring the fact that he picked up the five dollar bill.

"Are you getting a ride with me and Bonnie?" Elena asked, she smiled gratefully at her, Cory knew Elena appreciated her helping Jenna manage the house. She just needed some support and added confidence. The four days that Cory spent here was mostly talking to Jeremy. She wanted to know what was going on in his head. (Which surprisingly worked they bonded in art classes, so they were close friends.) He promised to ease up on the drugs, which was mostly pot, and he would try his best to stay away from alcohol. Honestly, that whole conversation went better than she thought it would.

Cory knew he just needed some time.

Elena had been quiet, except for the night when she called Bonnie and Caroline over and they had a night to themselves. Cory got tickets to a movie for Jenna and made sure she had a relaxing night without having to worry about the kids she now had to look out for.

"Yeah, if it's no problem?" Elena rose an eyebrow at her,

"Why would it be a problem?" She sighed and placed her plate into the sink beside hers. "I know I've been really quiet, but I-I really needed you to be here and I didn't know that until you woke up. So, thank you." They shared a grin and hugged. She'd get used to all the touching one day. She squeezed her arms wrapped around Elena's middle before letting go. Cory never knew she was a hugger until world jumping. Jeremy walked near them, and she stopped Elena from asking him if he was alright.

"He needs time, Elena. I think soon, though, he'll be ready to talk to you. Give him some space. We already had a long chat about him getting better." Elena bit her lip but nodded. On TV the actors and actresses always looked perfect, Cory thought that maybe it wouldn't be true if they were face to face, she was wrong. It seemed that the show didn't do them justice.

Elena was exactly what the whole Petrova doppelgänger allure represented. Olive skin, doe eyes, and long brown hair with her proportioned figure. It made her pause and question how everyone in this world was so flawless. Bonnie honked to let them know she was here.

"Bon Bon, c'mon we were having a moment!" Cory complained when she hopped into the back. Bonnie grinned at her. Long brown hair and sparkling green eyes flickered over Elena and her.

"Oops," she shrugged. Cory faked an annoyed look.

"Bonnie!" Elena laughed at their antics and took the passenger seat.

"How are you, Lena?" the soon-to-be witch asked, a look of worry passing over for a moment.

"I'm doing better." Cory winced. This was going to be a long school day. But hey, they'd get to see _Stefan! Stefan Salvatore._

"So, Grams is telling me I'm psychic. Our ancestors were from Salem, which isn't all that, I know, crazy, but she's going on and on about it and I'm like, put this woman in a home already!"

"Maybe she's telling you, so you're prepared about it later? When you know, weird stuff starts happening to you?" Bonnie furrowed her brows at Cory's interjection.

"I don't know, Cor-,"

"What about-,"

"I know! I was going to say that I started thinking, I predicted Obama and I predicted Heath Ledger, and I still think Florida will break off and turn into little resort islands."

"Bon, you should ask her some more without, you know, the booze." Bonnie laughed and looked over at Elena, sharing a look with Cory in the rearview mirror. She shrugged, in a what-can-you-do kind of way, and turned her attention to the windshield to see Damon's crow hit the car.

"Elena! Back in the car." Bonnie gave a fond smile with a shake of her head.

"I did it again, didn't I? I-I'm sorry, Bonnie. You were telling me that-,"

"That I'm psychic now and Cor thinks I should pursue it." Cory grinned when Elena shot her a skeptical look.

"It's true, Lena, really. Sheila might be an old alcoholic, but this stuff with the witches goes back centuries." They both looked thoughtful then.

"Really?" Cory nodded; Elena tilted her head and bit her lip before turning to the two of them.

"Okay, predict something. About me." Bonnie glanced at her, straightening her back, and smirked.

"I see-," Damon's crow smacked against the window causing the car to swerve and barely miss the curb. "What was that? Oh, my god, Elena, are you okay?" The lurching of the car made Cory's heart slam against her chest aggressively. She released her death grip on the car seat. _Breathe in. Breath out_. Bonnie and Cory watched Elena with concern.

"It's okay, I'm fine." She was obviously freaked out, but it was good to see her try to calm down. Cory clasped a hand to her shoulder.

"It's okay, Lena. Everyone's okay." Elena spun her head and nodded.

"It was like a bird or something. It came out of nowhere." The shorter brunette searched for the cause of their near crash.

"Really I can't be freaked out by cars for the rest of my life." They all shared a moment to look at one another.

"It's okay if you still are, but this is the right path, Elena. Learning to cope with irrational panic. Sooner rather than later you'll be over it. It's brave, facing something you fear, I'm proud of you. You aren't alone in all this, okay?" The three of us grinned at each other. _She needed to prepare them for the future_.

"Thanks, Cor." Awe drifted over her features, "That means a lot to me."

"I predict this year is going to be kick ass. And I predict all the sad and dark times are over and you are going to be beyond happy." Bonnie spoke, relieving the tension that had blanketed them.

"I agree, let's call it a hunch, but I think things are going to change everyone's lives in this town." The shorter brunette scoffed,

"You're taking my psychic gig from me? Cory!" Bonnie mimicked her whining from earlier. Elena laughed while she groaned.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Elena asked. They had no idea what would happen, most of it she was going to 'fix', but nonetheless it was still going to be dangerous. Bonnie drove them away and parked outside Mystic Falls High. All Cory could think of was Senior Prank Night and the disaster of so many decade dances. _Here we go_.

* * *

"Major lack of male real estate. Look at the shower curtain on Kelly Beach. She looks like a hot- can I still say, 'Tranny mess'?" She giggled at Bonnie's question before shaking her head in disagreement. The high school was just like on the show. Stepping from fantasy to reality was beginning to be normal for her. She wasn't even technically _human_. Cory hadn't spoken to her parent about being the Blessed. She'd been to the Edge, but she was alone when she was there. _Did she miss her leaf Dad/Mom? Yes. And Cory still was going to say parent. Life could take on any form after all._

"No."

"No that's over." Cory nudged Elena,

"Copying me?" She rolled her eyes.

"Ahh, find a man, coin a phrase. It's a busy year." Bonnie paused and they all turned to find Matt Donovan. Ohh. Yeah, the whole _break up_. The two of them talked about it when Tyler invited her over to the Lockwood Mansion for a few rounds of some shooter Cory didn't remember the name of. Matt was attractive. He was even more so in person than on TV. Tall, fit, blond and blue-eyed. She was glad they were such good friends. She planned on making sure he was happier in her timeline. He gave them a small smile and walked off.

"At least he reacted," Elena mumbled.

"Yeah, something you did, Cor? We know how he was a few weeks ago." Bonnie questioned,

"We talked and he understands it all a lot better, I think." Cory tapped her chin with her index finger in a thoughtful motion. "He gets it. Even if he's secretly listening to-," she nodded to Bonnie to finish her sentence.

"'Air Supply's Greatest Hits,'" They laughed as Caroline skipped her way to the three of them.

"Elena. Oh, my god. How are you? Oh, it's so good to see you." Instead of them being annoyed as Cory remembered on the show. Bonnie and Elena seemed stoked to see Caroline. That may have been her doing…What could she say? She wanted everyone to like each other and stop beating around the bush. Directly talking about problems went better than waiting until they blew in everyone's faces.

"I'm doing better."

"That's good, Cor, told me how everything was. If anyone bothers you, you just let me know." Cory grinned. She had invited the two to Elena's so they could talk. Cory brought up a lot of sensitive stuff, she even talked a little about her own self-hate, while they talked about insecurity. She learned a lot more about Bonnie and Elena. The deeper confines of their minds opened up for her. They trusted and she was trying to trust them. Cory talked about how she felt about being so curvy, how uncomfortable she found shopping, in turn, Bonnie, Elena, and Caroline shared their own inner thoughts.

Caroline expressed that she felt like seconds to Elena, Elena revealed that she really didn't like how thin she was or that her curls were annoying, and Bonnie mentioned how being friends with three white girls made her question if she was as gorgeous as them. By the end of the night, everyone felt more secure.

Elena told Caroline that she was beyond beautiful and that any guy who didn't see was losing out. Cory told Bonnie that whoever didn't think she was stunning were fools. Caroline told Elena that her curls were awesome and that she was petite in all the right ways. Bonnie reassured her that her curves were amazing and that she made everything look good.

The comment made her blushy and teary. No one really had told Cory that before. Or had ever complimented her. They shared a group hug, maybe cried a little bit, and then spent the rest of the night watching some movies. They promised no matter what would happen, boys, moving, and you know vampires, they would stick together. She didn't mention that out loud, but she sure as hell thought about it throughout the night. She was glad that they could cheer each other up. When Caroline and Cory had gone home, she could feel her glow, as if she never really realized that Elena never saw her as second. Cory beamed at the memory. _She had changed something for the better. Her first change._

"Hey! Cor, get over here!" Tyler Lockwood grabbed her arm and pulled her with him after throwing an arm over her shoulder.

"Tyler! Give her back!" Caroline yelled behind, Cory heard her groan and complain to Bonnie and Elena, "Why does he always steal her?" Tyler was breathtaking. It was making her heart work over time. _Why was everyone so pretty?_ His dark eyes and dark hair worked well with his long lashes along with his tall teenaged muscular body.

"Got you away from the Three Musketeers, they've been hogging you for too damn long." Cory laughed and elbowed him.

"Ty, be nice, they're my friends." He scoffed,

"I was your friend first, thank you!" She rolled her eyes as he led her outside. She stopped him,

"Please, leave, Jer alone okay?" She caught sight of Matt and thanked Fate and Karma in her head. "Mattie!" Cory rushed over to him and gave him a hug. He was warm. His arms wrapped around her shoulder while she snuggly pulled hers around his waist.

"Hey, Cory, how are you?" They pulled away, _sadly_, and smiled at each other.

"Good, mostly, hey do you think you can keep an eye on Jer and Ty? I don't want them killing each other on the first day of school."

"Just this once," he pointed at her with a teasing smirk on his lips.

"Right, we both know the truth, Matt." Cory spun on her heel to go find where Elena and Bonnie ran off to. She really didn't want to miss meeting Stefan.

* * *

"It's a hot back. I'm sensing Seattle, and he plays guitar." Elena rolled her eyes, about to speak but Cory nudged her,

"No, I think it's more mysteriously lives in a boarding house with a wayward brother while enjoying journaling and literature." Cory knew he could hear her; _he had no idea what was going to hit him_. Jeremy walked by and that dude mentioned him having a good batch. Elena scowled,

"Cor?" She sighed motioning to the bathroom.

"I know Lena, you want to go talk to him? Go ahead. Be easy on him. He likes Vicki, she's been in and out of the house all summer. He's just heartbroken that she's kissing Tyler in front in him." Bonnie and Cory shared an empathetic look.

"I'll be right back." Once she was out of earshot Cory sighed and turned to walk after her.

"Please be hot." The Bennett pleaded under her breath.

"He'll will, promise." She smirked at the brunette, "I'll wait outside the bathroom to play good cop." The brunette was too distracted by Stefan to say a passing word. Cory positioned herself outside the boy's bathroom to wait.

Jeremy stomped out. She gave him grimace,

"Bad cop was bad?" He shot her a thankful smile,

"Not too bad, thanks for that, Cor. See you at art?" Cory nodded and watched him leave. Stefan walked by and she turned to block his path.

"Hey, Salvatore, I'm glad talking to the secretary wasn't too tiring for you." He stopped in front of her, his light brown hair was styled perfectly, his body far broader and muscular than she recalled on the show, his deep green eyes filled with confusion.

"You know?" He lowered his voice, half suspicious and half threatening. She shrugged a shoulder.

"Don't worry, lips are sealed, I hope you can trust me though. See you at lunch, Stefan." Cory managed to move by. Good, he didn't try to ask her in the middle of the hall. A quick glance over her shoulder allowed her to catch Elena staring at him with admiration.

* * *

Cory forgot how much she hated high school. She was lucky to have Tanner for the first period of the day so she could see Stefan again. He really needed friends.

"Hey, Stef, good luck with Mr. Tanner," Cory told him and shuddered.

"I thought this was your first year with him?" Matt said as he swerved past some people to get into his desk.

"Yeah, but you know I'm different. Like Stef, here, only he's a different kind of different where I'm a _different_ kind of different." Matt furrowed his brows about to speak, but changed his mind, closing his mouth and shrugging. She was like this frequently. Cory assumed he was used to her oddness. Stefan leaned forward,

"We should talk."

"I know, lunch? A friend lunch, not a date lunch, I know you want to know Elena better. And I'm not going to stop you, but she's isn't _her_." Cory wanted him to know as much as he wanted. There wasn't a reason to lie to him after all. She didn't wait for his reaction and spun to face Mr. Tanner as the bell rang. Beside her, Elena looked at a text. _Good_. She didn't want them to think Stefan was interested in her when he wasn't. At least not like _that_.

* * *

Cory didn't catch Stefan at lunch. Vicki and Jeremy had led her outside while she lectured them about hard drugs. Pot was whatever. The worst thing that would happen is them eating fast food at two a.m. Vicki had already heard it the other day and nodded her head along to what she was saying. Then they ate lunch. Nothing really exciting happened, disappointingly.

That was until after school Stefan met her at the front doors.

"Sorry, Stef. I had to discipline unruly teenagers. At least someone at your age behaves." Cory grumbled and let Stefan take the lead in the conversation. He suggested they talk by the cemetery. Near Elena of course, maybe it was a coincidence? _Doubtful_.

"So," he stopped them near a bushy path. "You know that I'm-,"

"A vampire? Yeah. I also know that you drink animal blood instead of human blood because of the whole Ripper thing." He nodded and waited a moment before speaking.

"Are you going to-?" Cory shook her head.

"Of course not. I want you to trust me, Stefan. I want to be your friend. Friends trust each other. We can work on it," she rambled nonchalantly.

"How do _you_ know this? Before you said that you were different, what are you?" She had sorted out this part. She was going to claim herself as a seer until she had the talk on the whole world jumping thing. Cory felt a bit uncomfortable with talking about being called the Blessed. She'd mention that once most of everyone knew about the supernatural.

"I'm a Seer of sorts. It's a bit of a longer story, but a witch told me that people might abuse what I really am if they found out."

"How much do you know?" He spoke those words slowly and even though his facial expression went calm and stoic she knew he was reeling at the facts she was giving him. Cory hoped by the end of today she could that she was trustworthy. That she truly wanted to help him. She honest to god wanted to be his friend.

"Everything. I want to help you as much as I can, Stefan, but only if you are willing to listen to me. I want to be friends. I think you could use some and, well, hiding things from people gets pent up and I want to be someone you can vent to, Stef." They both heard someone trip down the path behind Stefan. _Elena_.

"I should-,"

"Go. Help her. I'll see you later Stefan." Cory turned-

"Wait!" Stefan stopped her with a hand on her shoulder. "I'll give you my number so we can talk later." Written in neat handwriting she was handed a piece of paper. Her first vampire number.

"I should get a cake," she mumbled as she walked towards her shared house before freezing. Elena would be injured and alone, "how did I forget?" Cory immediately ran down the path to find Elena looking very lost.

"Lena? You okay?" She nodded her head.

"Did you-was Stefan just here?" Without hesitation, she covered for him.

"Yeah, he has a problem with blood and wounds. He says he's sorry about that. We were just catching up with each other."

"Catching up? You know him?" Surprise glinted her eyes.

"Yeah, we were pen pals for a while and then we met in Texas a few times when I visited, Mama."

"I thought-,"

"He told me all about it after I told him about, you know, my Amnesia thing." She noticed her frustrated expression, "hey, are you okay? Wait, let me guess. Crow and fog?" Cory laughed at how big her eyes went.

"How-How?"

"Bonnie's a witch and I'm a seer." Elena rolled her eyes and laughed. "Hey! I'm being serious!"

"Sure," she sounded unconvinced and stepped forward with a wince.

"Let's get you home, you want to invite me over?"

"Yes, c'mon." Cory eagerly went over and wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"I think we should either make a cake or buy some," Elena giggled and gave her an odd look.

"What, why?" She gave her a as-if-you-don't-know look before sighing.

"Celebration, for an unknown reason you can know in three weeks give or take." The brunette through her head back and laughed.

* * *

She pulled out her phone to text Stefan.

_Creeping outside the house?_

She waited before realizing she should really tell him _who_ was texting him.

_It's Cory by the way. You have permission to call me Cor, Stefano._

**Do I want to?**

What a cheeky jerk.

_Yes. I'm great fun and we're friends now. So, you really don't get a choice._

"We're meeting Bonnie and Caroline at the Grill." Elena passingly told her Aunt. She wore a black tank top and jeans with her navy-blue jacket in her hands. Cory wore a simple black full skirt with a dark purple long sleeve V-neck. After the cemetery incident with Stefan, Elena and Cory had reached the Gilbert house in a short amount of time. The house was just as it was on the show, maybe even better in person, she had always wanted to see the set. Her mother never listened to her begging though. She supposed world jumping was letting her achieve her dreams. Elena's scratch was just a scratch and she had gone into a speech about cleaning it thoroughly as well as bandaging it. Since it was a scratch she made sure to remind Elena to take the bandage off to let the wound scab over properly. The brunette had asked why they were talking about taking care of injuries when Cory stopped.

"It's better if you know now rather than later, Elena." Then she proceeded to distract her with clothing and going to see Bonnie and Caroline at the Grill.

"Okay, have fun." Cory snapped back into the present at the sound of Jenna's voice. She was more than often than not stuck in her own head. "Wait, I got this. Don't stay out late, it's a school night." The blonde put her hands on her hips and the two of them laughed at the display. A vibration in her hand caught her attention.

**Yes, I'm 'creeping outside'. I'm going to knock.**

"Well done, Aunt Jenna." Cory gave her a thumbs up behind Elena's shoulder. Now to get going.

"Oh." Stefan gave her a slightly annoyed glance that Elena, thankfully, didn't catch.

"Hey, Stef. Get home okay?" He nodded at her and addressed Elena's shocked stare.

"Sorry, I was about to knock. I wanted to apologize for my disappearing act earlier. I know it was…Strange."

"No worries. Cor told me about blood making you uncomfortable. She hasn't mentioned you before-,"

"Elena be nice to my ex-pen pal. He wasn't brought up in everyday conversation! I just never talked about him." She scolded her.

"I don't know, it sounds rude to me…" That was smug. _She thought he was the 'good' brother? _Really, he was as much as a jerk as Damon is.

"Not on purpose!" Her voice went up an octave. She scrunched her nose and the two of them chuckled. _Look at the lovely married couple_. Stefan sobered up and questioned Elena politely.

"How's your leg?"

"Oh, it's fine. Just a scratch, barely." Elena snapped her head in Cory's direction. "Did you tell him where I lived?"

"Yeah…He's a bit shy and he has something to return to you. I'm going to leave you two to chat for a bit." She ducked inside the house to give them a moment. "You should invite him in! You know like 'Come in!' He needs direct answers, Lena!" She moved right back to the front door. She didn't mind being a bit embarrassing. It would speed things up in this world.

"Come in, Stefan." Elena handed her the journal and she went to put it away on the side table.

"Sorry, were you two going somewhere?"

"Yeah, we're meeting Bonnie and Caroline at the Grill," Cory elbowed Elena to keep talking and wagged her eyebrows. "Stefan, would you like to join us?" Amusement danced in his eyes, lips quirking upwards into a half smile.

"Yeah."

* * *

Cory and Elena walked side by side, with Stefan in between them. She let the two of them chat, commenting here and there. They entered the doors, eyes fell on them, Caroline and Tyler were talking by the pool table, and Matt sat with Bonnie. The Grill was a carbon copy from the show. It was beautiful. _Then it burns. Yeah, not happening on her watch_. Were they talking about Elena? He didn't look upset, but he still made his way over.

"Hey, I'm Matt. Nice to meet you." He smiled and shook his hand.

"Hi. Stefan." Matt smirked at her when he caught her frowning,

"Cor," she rose her head up. Stupid tall people. She was barely two inches taller than Bonnie!

"Mattie." Matt chuckled at her grumpiness. He knew the aggravation of her height in her mind.

"Hey." Elena breathed out, her anxiety lingering in the air with the overbearing tension.

"Good to see you, Elena," Matt replied stiffly and nodded to them courtly before walking past them. They made their way to the table he had sat at with Bonnie not daring to comment about the situation she glanced around for Caroline. Cory waved her over and they hugged.

"I feel like we barely talked all day, Cor."

"We really didn't. This is-,"

"Stefan, yeah we have English with Elena." They shook hands and the looks exchanged were friendly and warm on both sides. Cory had made sure to text Bonnie and Caroline about Elena liking Stefan and her hinting that Stefan liked her. She made sure to mention that she knew him beforehand to the two of them over a phone call. Cory was trying to prevent Caroline from being rejected. She didn't want her best friend to go through those emotions.

"So," Caroline began after they ordered and sat down, "you were born in Mystic Falls?" Cory noted the same interest as Bonnie's in her eyes. They just wanted to know more about their best friend's new love interest.

"Mm-hmm. And moved when I was still young."

"Parents?" Bonnie jumped into the interrogation.

"My parents passed away." He gazed at Elena as he spoke those words. What a sap. She loved him for it. Friendly love. _Friendly_.

"I'm sorry. Any siblings?"

"Damon, right? He's a traveler, you don't really talk to him though. Or am I misremembering?" She mocked furrowing her brows in confusion. She was good at pretending. She had to. Her mother would have done worse if she had cried. If she had gone to anyone. Or let it show outside of the house.

"No, that's exactly how he is. I can't remember the last time we've spoken or seen each other." Stefan gave her an odd look. Cory hoped the look on her face was a please-trust-me look. If they mentioned him now, then Elena would trust Stefan later. _She high fived herself in her head_. _Good job Cory. _She praised herself.

"Uncle Zach?"

"I live with my Uncle." They simultaneously said. She grinned at him.

"Copying me?" He rolled his eyes playfully. Who knew Stefan was such a laid back friend?

"So, how long have you two known each other? You know being pen pals and all. I really don't want to share one of my best friends with _another_ person." Caroline rolled her eyes and gave him a sharp look.

"Care!"

"It's true, everyone's always stealing you! We can't go shopping for a day without you being called." Stefan laughed along with the rest of the occupants at the table.

"I promise not to steal her…as much." He smirked at Cory and she shook her head at the response.

"Stefan's new so-,"

"Oh! You don't know about the party tomorrow." The blonde interrupted excitedly.

"It's a back to school thing at the Falls." Bonnie offered and he nodded his understanding.

"Are you going?" Stefan asked Elena.

"Of course, she is," Bonnie answered for her. Elena shyly tucked her hair behind her ear and the two star crossed doppelgängers couldn't take their eyes off each other. She had forgotten about the whole Traveler attraction magic. Cory doubted it really affected them.

* * *

The rest of the evening went smoothly. Stefan pulled her to the side of the Grill once everyone (excluding Caroline) went home.

"You mentioned Damon?"

"If I didn't Stefan, Elena would later be upset, and I can't tell you why." He ran his fingers through his hair.

"He doesn't-tell me he doesn't-,"

"This is Damon we're talking about." Stefan turned away from her, but she could imagine his face contorting into anger and fear. Her own emotions bubbled up. She didn't like that he was upset.

"I have to leave. I can't-if he's here-,"

"Stefan," Cory griped his arm and pulled him to face her. At least he let her turn him around. "The whole issue with you two is, several things, but," she sighed, "I'm trying to prevent a lot of things from happening, Stefan. Damon is always going to be Damon we can't stop him. I'm mostly human and you're on a bunny diet." She raked her fingers through her hair. "I can warn everyone though."

"I just want to help you both become brothers again. I'm trying to repair my friend's friendships with each other. And I'm trying to help the Gilbert's be a functional family after what they lost." Cory breathed in, closing her eyes tightly before opening them to meet green eyes filled with hope. Maybe it was wonder? Awe? "I want everyone to be happy. I want you to finally gain control over yourself and I want Damon to be happy with his life while he's not miserably trying to ruin yours." She nodded to herself, _yeah that sounded good, right?_

"And!" She pointed at the vampire, "you bet your broody vampire ass and hero hair, Saint Stefan that I will achieve it! So, uh, help me?" She whispered near the end, losing her enthusiasm and realizing that they literally just met. _She knew she was doing this alone_._ He didn't trust her to that extent._

"Okay, so we give this a go and what? How am I going to get my brother back? He's been gone for-,"

"One hundred and sixty years or so." She smiled so wide her cheeks burned. "We can do it. Give me time. Apologize for turning him and offer him help when he asks about the tomb. If we get Bonnie working on her witch stuff, we can open the tomb much easier."

"If Damon has anything in him, you're saying-,"

"That he does have humanity and you need to be there for him. _We_ need to help him get to accept that he does." Stefan smiled at her,

"Okay."

"Okay?!" He nodded. "Why? Why are you agreeing so easily?" She demanded. Stefan shrugged. Really? He was supposed to be the emotional one?

"You know things about me no one does, and if anyone can help me and Damon, it's you. It's a seer who knows us inside and out."

"And everything in between." He smirked at that,

"Yeah, and I know you aren't lying," When was season one Stefan cocky? "You should go home. Caroline's looking for you." Cory nodded, barely containing her excitement, turning to leave before stopping.

"Tonight, Zach's going to give you some evidence that you aren't the only one who's home, Stefan." Then, she skipped back in, bumping into Caroline who whined about the lack of hot boys she could date and then slipped into talk of the party tomorrow. They piled into her car with ease.

"I just want to have fun and go on dates with a cute boy, why is that so hard to come by?" Cory laughed and the vibration in her lap made her pick up her phone.

**You were right. Damon's home. **

Alright, now the party's really starting.

_Are you ready to scheme with me?_

**What's the plan?**

First_, we're going to need vervain for everyone we know. Then we need to get ready to help Damon with opening the tomb._

**The one under the church? Why does he need it open?**

_You and I both know._

**Katherine. **

**Meaning you know about Elena and her.**

It's_ a long story, Stefan, that I can't tell yet. There are rules _about_ what I can do. One of them is changing the timeline too much. _

_It's why I went into a coma. I couldn't help Elena's parents._

_We can get vervain from Zach._

**Ok. When can we talk?**

**Zach?**

_Tomorrow after school maybe? Yeah, he has a secret stash. Ask him without accusing him, please?_

**Ok.**

**Yea sounds good. See you then.**

_Hey, here's Stefan's number btw. _

She sent that quick message to Elena.

**Oh, thank you?**

_He wanted me to give it to you. At least I know he did..._

**Cory. If he doesn't want me to have the number**

_He does. He's just a little nervous_

**Ok**

That was the response Elena gave when she didn't believe what you said.

"Who are you texting, Cory? You got a mysterious admirer?" She shook her head.

_Elena has your number, here's hers._

**Why?**

_You're cute together._

_I'm living vicariously through you two. I think everyone is tbh._

He didn't reply, which was rude, but hey he was probably writing in his journal. _Maybe she should keep a journal?_

"Cor! Are you listening to me?"

"Yes. I'm sorry. I'm a bit sleepy, Care." Caroline's concerned blue-green eyes flickered over her face.

"Are you okay? Oh, my god. You were just in a coma and I just-oh, my god I'm so sorry. We should be talking about it right? How are you feeling? How's the Amnesia?"

"Care, I'm doing great. Thank you for being concerned. Thank you for being my best friend." Caroline parked the car in the driveway of their shared house. Wow, had she missed the past five to ten minutes.

"Aww. Cory. That's so sweet. I love you," she beamed at her fellow blonde.

"I love you too, Care!" They hugged tightly, with Cory burying her face into her hair and Caroline clutching her like a lifeline. The two chatted up to there rooms. The Forbes' house looking exactly like it did. And the extra room she never knew they had made her smile every time she thought about it. Apparently, Liz moved her home office space from there to her bedroom. Which meant they saw her less, but Cory had her own space. She had thought of moving into an apartment after getting a job at the Grill, but Caroline refused to let her go.

"Together or not at all, Cory Jameson!" They had a pact. They'd move into their first place together. Cory hoped she could keep that promise. If anything she wanted to get a studio and start hanging her pictures. She could even start to fully pursue her charcoal sketching obsession. She could finally explore it without her mother telling her she was a spawn of the devil for using her left hand. Yes, she was one of those people. Cory couldn't count how many times her left hand was whipped for being used. It was what led her to be ambidextrous. She could function with both of her hands. It was the only talent she had.

Cory stepped through the door of her room, admiring her name that hung on the front of it. Her room was painted a dark green with half the walls covered in wood paneling (from the bottom and stopping halfway up). The floor was hardwood, which they apologized for, but she didn't mind. She didn't need a carpet. Cory had a full sized bed it was a drastic change from her old room. Other Cory was lucky. She had nearly squealed at the sight of it. It was big and comfy. She even had a comforter! She also had a large closet filled with clothes, her own little desk, a laptop, and a large dresser you could fit a corpse in. Not that she ever planned on doing it, but if the opportunity arose she might indulge herself. At either side of the bed were nightstands. The left had a lamp and her cell phone charger. The right had her alarm clock sat with one of the vases she got from the hospital when she was still comatose.

They didn't know who sent the large bouquet of white lilies, but they knew that those were Cory's favorite flowers. She could only wonder if they knew Other Cory. The vase was empty now, since the flowers had died, and she took a piece of notebook paper that was conveniently on her desk to write down to buy some flowers. _Bedtime, hopefully, she would see her leaf parent. Her life was so...supernatural._ She quickly changed into shorts, a tank top, (she didn't dare sleep with socks she wasn't weird like some socking wearing sleepers, weirdos) and slipped under the soft covers.

"Goodnight, Care!" She shouted from her position and shut the lamp off.

"Goodnight, Cor!" Caroline yelled back.

"Girls, the shouting at 10?" Liz called from the hallway outside there rooms.

"Sorry, Mom!"

"Sorry, Liz."

"Goodnight, you two." Cory listened intently to the sound of her footsteps until they ceased. Maybe it was a bit early. Cory needed all the time she could get with Life. _Funny. how the meaning's changed_.

* * *

"The battle of Willow Creek took place right at the end of the war in our very own Mystic Falls. How many casualties resulted in this battle?" Mr. Tanner paused, _sorry Bonnie_, "Ms. Bennett?"

"Um…a lot?" A few people snickered, "I'm not sure. Like a whole lot."

"Cute becomes dumb in an instant, Ms. Bennett." Anger rolled over her. No. _He wasn't getting away with hurting her friends_. His eyes wandered the room before Cory raised her hand,

"Ms. Jameson, would you care to enlighten us?" Why was he so patronizing? She regretted not raising her hand sooner.

"Yes, sir, there were 346 casualties, but if you count the local civilians there would be more," Mr. Tanner smiled at that.

"Very good, except there were no civilian casualties in this battle." Mr. Tanner moved to the chalkboard, then Stefan spoke up,

"Actually, there were 27, sir. Confederate soldiers, they fired on the church, believing it to be housing weapons. They were wrong. It was a night of great loss." Cory narrowed her eyes in warning,

"Stefan…," she muttered lowly, it was a bit much to show off. They shared a look and he quieted before he could bruise the teacher's ego further.

"I must have missed that, thank you, Mr.-?"

"Salvatore." Recognition flickered in Tanner's eyes,

"Salvatore? Any relation to the original settlers here at Mystic Falls?" He actually seemed interested. _History nerd_. She couldn't wait for Ric to get here. Meaning Mr. Tanner...Nope, she'd have him compelled.

"Distant," Stefan replied dryly. She bit her lip to keep from laughing out loud. It was a new experience to be in the room than to watch it on a screen.

* * *

"Ugh, Mr. Tanner is such an ass." Matt groaned next to her with his head in his hands. Cory sat in between him and Tyler outside for lunch.

"He's just biased when it comes to his students." She reassured him, Tyler huffed,

"He already likes you and you've known him for a few hours. We've dealt with him for years and he still gives us crap."

"I don't know how I'm going to survive him this year," Matt ran his fingers through his hair and rested his arms on the picnic table in defeat.

"Hey, no worries, we'll study together when you guys aren't in practice. Don't worry so much, I'm a genius, remember?" Tyler grinned and Matt turned his head to look at her,

"Yeah, Matt. We get Ms. Smarty to help us this year, it's going to be great-,"

"And that means not copying and then changing some words or order, Ty. The two of you are doing this for real with a little guidance from me." She told him a matter-of-fact, sliding up and marching to where Bonnie, Caroline, and Elena sat. In the corner of her eye, Tyler pouted while saying something to Matt who laughed and waved him off.

"Finally! You know you can ignore those two, right?" Caroline crossed her arms with a scowl.

"Care, you know our love is forbidden," She clasped her hand over her heart, "What would your mother say?" The table laughed and they chatted about unrelated topics. Mostly gossiping about Bonnie talking to a guy named Andrew and Elena and Stefan's budding relationship.

"Wait! Bonnie's got that Andrew from French meeting her at the party, Elena has Stefan, and I have an argument to settle with Mallory about the newest cheer moves, which by the way, she might drop out! How dare she?" Cory smirked and rose an eyebrow at the blonde. "What about you, Cor? Or are you still on that whole 'no romantic or sexual relationships' thing again?" That sounded like her.

"I'm fine alone, Care Bear. Really, I prefer it right now."

"But-,"

"C'mon Care, you know she doesn't like to talk about it." Elena's eyes widened at Bonnie's words before she turned to face Cory.

"Unless she doesn't remember." They all went silent,

"Oh!" Caroline gasped, "I didn't even think about that…"

"Remember what?" Cory demanded. _Please say there isn't a relationship with a character she knew about. It had to be some random guy, right? _She composed herself. It can't be anything serious, just you know a teenager, she took a gulp of water…

"You never really told us a name, but you clam up and refuse to tell us what happened." Caroline twirled her hair and moved her food around with her fork. Talking about this made her friend nervous.

"I'm sure it was just a fling," Bonnie reassured her, but her words sounded like she doubted it. Sheila. She could help Cory get her missing memories back or at the very least lead her in the right direction.

"Bon, can you take me to see Grams after school. I need her help."

"What? With what?"

"It's about the witch stuff. I think she can help me." Bonnie gave her a skeptical look and sighed,

"Cory, it's just drunken-,"

"Crap? No, it really isn't. I know none of you are going to believe right now, but I need you to trust me, please." They all poured their attention on her. She shifted in her spot on the bench and tried to focus on what she was going to say next. How did anyone like being the center of attention? "I know the future and I can see into the past. They still don't know why I went into a coma, but I do." She stared at Elena and spoke softly, trying not to upset her, "I'm a seer. I was going to stop what happened on Wickery Bridge, to you, to your parents, to your family, Elena. Fate stopped me-,"

"Wait are you trying to say you knew about Elena's parents...dying?" Caroline whispered, her eyes bigger than saucers. Bonnie, on the other hand, looked angry with obvious disbelief clouding her eyes.

"Cory-," the Bennett growled at her. _Crap. She just had to piss off a witch today_.

"Listen to me, I'm telling the truth, Bonnie." She glanced at Elena who looked teary, but her clenched jaw exposed her guarded sadness. She may have messed this up. "Elena-," Cory placed a hand over hers and her body tensed while she was dragged into blackness. It clouded her senses for a few moments before a scene burned her eyes. Beside her stood Elena. They were holding hands and we were wearing the same clothes as just moments before. The scene in front of them was of a view from the treeline near Wickery Bridge. The car swerved and drove right off the bridge straight into the water.

"Oh, my god!" Elena cried out.

"Elena, I'm so sorry." Cory could feel the tears drip down her cheeks, they looked at each other in the foggy darkness of the vision and suddenly they were tossed back into the present with Bonnie and Caroline gaping at the two.

"What. Just. happened?" Caroline mechanically reacted.

"Your eyes, they turned silver, how-," Bonnie shook her head and froze when she saw Elena's face.

"She's telling the truth." she cut in, tears crashing over her face, Cory raced up and sat beside her to give her a hug. "We saw it. My parents-," Elena croaked and buried her face into her neck.

"I'm really sorry, Lena." Bonnie rubbed Elena's back and Caroline hovered over Cory's shoulder.

"So, what Grams is telling me-,"

"It's all one hundred percent true, Bonnie. You're apart of the most powerful witch bloodline on earth." Except, the Mikaelsons were far more dangerous and powerful when they were witches. _Freya! Maybe as the _Blessed_, she could wake her up early?_ That would be the highlight of her life. Bonnie's eyes bugged out. "We can't tell anyone," Cory told the girls.

"They wouldn't believe you anyway," Elena replied first, pulling away from their embrace and flinching.

"We almost didn't believe you." The horrified whisper left Caroline's lips.

"I'm so sorry, Cory." Bonnie said, shaking her head, "We-I-," she smiled sadly at the brunette.

"Bon, it's alright. I wasn't expecting you to believe me right away."

"We'll keep your secret," Caroline boasted, then paused to think it through. Elena nodded to Bonnie and continued for Caroline.

"Both of your secrets." Bonnie and Cory shared a sheepish look. _This turned out better than she thought._

"Oh, my god, we can be like the Charmed sisters!" Caroline cheered, getting a few looks, we all went back to our original seats giggling.

"Except we're not sisters?" Bonnie shot back with a raised eyebrow.

"Or all of us witches?" Elena corrected, her nose scrunched in concentration, "So, with your visions, could you see what you don't remember?" That was a good theory, one that she was hoping on.

"I need guidance first. Sheila's been a witch for a long time. I was hoping she'd have some answers, if not then someone who does."

"I'll drive you to her house after school. I have some questions for her myself." The four girls grinned at each other and groaned when the bell rang.

"Damn, I didn't even finish my salad!" Caroline picked up her plastic clam angrily; which they all found amusing. As the four of them walked back into school, Cory felt powerful and cared for. It was a new feeling for her. She sent a quick text to Stefan.

_I'm getting Bonnie on the right track with her witch stuff._

**Good? I'm guessing that when Damon needs help we're going to her?**

**Will she be able to open the tomb?**

_No, but her Grams can aid her with it. __It also means we will have to postpone our chat to the party. _

_I don't know how long we'll be at Sheila's._

**Does Sheila know about vampires?**

_Yep, she hates them too._

**Alright, we'll talk then.**

_Don't worry. You and Elena will have your alone time._

**Funny.**

_Thank you! I am, aren't I?_

He didn't respond again. Stefan was the type to leave you hanging it seemed.

* * *

"So, you know about witches do you?" Sheila Bennett was the most fear-inducing person Cory had ever met. She thought the Originals looked intimidating, but she felt like she was about to be smacked for just sitting in her presence. She had yet to figure if it was in a disciplinary way or hateful way. It was just the tension. She sincerely doubted that Sheila was the type. Unless it was a vampire.

"Yes." Sheila smiled at her.

"Good, as the Blessed you should." She choked on the tea she was drinking. Vervain tea of course.

"What?" Bonnie sputtered, immediately setting her gaze on Cory, "I thought you said you were a seer!"

"Relax, Bonnie. She's just trying to protect herself. If vampires or wolves caught wind of what she was they would use her to get what they want."

"Even witches." She murmured. Sheila sighed. Her home was quite lovely. It was a cozy and warm kind of place that made her feel safe. It reminded Cory or her own Grans house and she told the witch so when they met.

"Any witch who harms a Blessed is worse than any abomination on this planet, my dear." The flames in her eyes took the seer by surprise.

"Why?" Sheila gave her a soft look.

"Witches are servants of nature. The Blessed is born of nature. You're her daughter of sorts. Witches are to protect you because you are apart of nature."

"Anyone who doesn't-,"

"Fails at being a proper witch, yes." Sheila leaned forward to catch her gaze. "The wolves will be able to hunt for you on the full moon. You need to stay inside on those days, some will try to kill you for your powers while others will take...different less violent approaches. To use their...needs." Cory's face heated and the witch smirked while giving her a quick nod. Great, sleep with a wolf or die by one. "The vampires will desire your blood or they'll desire to mark you." Mark? What the hell kind of weird kinky things did nature think was okay?

"Mark?"

"It blocks your scent. Makes it as if you're theirs." Cory frowned at that. _No, she wasn't going to be some vampire's blood slave_.

"Are vampires more agreeable to me because I'm the Blessed?" Sheila pursed her lips and thought for a moment.

"They, on some level, have this intuition to have leniency on certain things, really, it depends on the vampire."

"Vampires and werewolves?" Bonnie whispered awestruck. She was so new to this. Soon she'd roll her eyes and set them on fire. _Or worse give them an aneurysm_. She thought. "Blessed?" Bonnie shot Cory an incredulous look. As if she wasn't really real. Sorry, Bon Bon.

"All of it is real, Bonnie. You'll be starting with smaller subjects in your training tomorrow. Cory, here, needs some memory help I'm guessing?"

"Yes! I just want to know what I don't remember from...my Amnesia."

"If you were just human or even a witch, memories are hard to sort through, I'd need a lot of magic to do it."

"But?" Bonnie asked clearly interested in learning. Sheila eyed her.

"She's a Blessed, she has her own way of seeing with her visions, she can certainly get there with a little help." The witch offered her hands palms facing the ceiling. Cory breathed in. Alright. She could do this. Hopefully, she wouldn't be thrown into a coma. She carefully let her hands rest into Grams'. "Focus now, Cory. Breathe in and breathe out. In. Out. Think about what you need to see. Be careful, honey. You search too far you'll be lost." She nodded and closed her eyes tightly. "In. Out." A vibration shuddered over her. "In. Out." Her whole body went stiff. "In. Out."

Suddenly her eyes slammed open, but instead of seeing Sheila's house she was in the dark fog of a vision. Maybe one day she'd see her cool silver eyes? She needed someone to get a picture of them. She was on the street that pitch black, upon looking up the stars and moon were clear, but something felt dark. She shivered and watched as Other Cory stepped out of the alleyway and into the dark street. Quickly her Other self walked. She followed. Every shop on the street made her eyes narrow. All the lights were off and there wasn't a single person in sight. The two Corys turned a corner, Other Cory smacked into someone. _No_. He was tall and blond and her heart slammed into her chest. How? _How_?

"Sorry, love." His lips were a bit too red as he curled them into a wicked smirk. Well kept dirty blonde hair, distracting physique, and posture that screamed _threat_. His blue eyes danced with equal amounts of amusement, delight, and danger over her body. She was self-conscious for herself.

"Sorry," Other Cory squeaked, her eyes wide, _did she know who it was?_ She really hoped she got out of here quick. He chuckled before gliding right into Other Cory's personal space. They were inches from the other.

"You shouldn't be out here all alone, sweetheart." Her cheeks flushed and a shiver ran down her back at the sound of his voice. _Oh, my god. He was going to either seduce her or kill her. How did she know Niklaus Mikaelson?_

* * *

**Sorry about the cliffhanger. ;) I'll try to post tomorrow if I can. Thank you for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Hey! Sorry I didn't update yesterday. I am going through the process of moving right now so I've been busy. Thank you for reading, following, and favoriting!**

**Special Thanks to:**

**Guest: Yes, she'll be able to get the memories she lost through it. At least I plan on trying to fit them in somewhere. **

**Admittedly I haven't watched the show in a while or the Originals so I might have to take a break later in the future to make everything go the way I want it to. Enjoy!**

* * *

_Chapter Three_

Other Cory gulped and hugged her arms to her body. Like a deer caught in headlights, she stared at the male in front of her. He was dressed just like Klaus always dressed, jeans, black shirt, and leather jacket. _Wait. _Cory looked at Other Cory, she was wearing their black hoodie, the same one Cory had been wearing to school every day. _Other Cory was just like Real Cory._

"Um, it's a long story. You know and-," she froze, and her eyes shot across the street. A tall figure in dark clothing hid near one of the closed stores. It looked masculine, but she couldn't be completely sure. She went rigid. Something about him set her off. Something dark. It made Cory shiver. Suddenly, Other Cory shot forward and shoved the Original into the wall beside them, just a foot away from the fireball thrown at them. Other Cory swore. "You need to run, Klaus!"

"You-!"

"Just run!" Klaus grabbed her wrist and growled at her, dragging her close until their noses nearly touched. The vampire side that had remained hidden, until now, showed.

"You dare command-,"

"Samson, kill her!" The warlock shouted, it cut the tension like a knife, and a vampire jumped into the fray directly behind her. He was tall, dark, muscular, and his vampire face was bared. _She couldn't catch a break, could she? _He wasn't nearly as volatile and concerning as Klaus. Samson snarled and charged in Other Cory's direction. _She yelled at herself to get out of the way._ Other Cory cursed, spun around with her bright silver eyes, before managing to evade the vampire's assault.

_Wow, her eyes were pretty. No, they were ethereal. _At first, when Bonnie had told her eyes were silver, she had been puzzled. Having grey eyes, it would have been near impossible to tell if they had shifted. She could see now that they glowed. It reminded her of werewolves, the way their eyes glowed when they turned. Cory predicted that Other Cory had seen the attack coming. Klaus with grace and ease as an Original had, snagged the vampire by the throat and nailed him to the closed pizzeria wall.

"Tell me why you're killing her." Other Cory shook her head.

"You can't-," Samson laughed haughtily.

"You son of a bitch, you're that fucked up Original vamp, aren't you?" He snarled into Klaus' face. _He was very dead._ "I drank that bitch's blood, she's the fucking Blessed and I'm binding her now." _Binding?_ He shoved against the blond to try to get to her and in one swift motion, his heart was gripped into Klaus' fist.

"Now, the _Blessed_? I'll admit, love, I wasn't expecting that." One glance over to where the warlock was made apparent, he had fled. _Coward. _She thought in her head before watching Other Cory turn towards Klaus. He watched her with a mixture of amusement and delight. She knew why. _The Blessed must be well known._ Cory knew she was magical, it meant that Klaus was thinking of a way for her to help him break his curse.

"Yeah, I love being hunted by every supernatural creature on the planet." Other Cory slumped against the wall and wiped the blood from her nose. _Were her visions like witches using magic? _Cory could feel everything Other Cory was feeling. The adrenaline, the fear, and the exhaustion. She could've sworn she _felt_ the blood trickling out her nose too. Distantly, she heard yelling, it was far off and incoherent.

"Well then, let's make a deal, shall we?" Other Cory eyed the hybrid and Cory turned to investigate his body language. He lazily leaned against the wall near her, just a few feet away, his lips curled into a triumphant smirk. _Yeah, he thought he'd hit a gold mine by bumping into her_. Cory really didn't know though…could she help him? Why didn't she have his number in her phone? Or any contact from him? Something was going to cause them to split up in the deal she just knew it.

"I didn't realize you were taking after, Elijah." Other Cory responded, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow at him. Cory could feel her own panic. Klaus heard it. He gave her a smile, one of those listen-or-die smiles.

"Oh, trust me, love. I wouldn't dare take my big brother's thunder. But," he stepped into her personal space. "You need protection and I need magic. I think we can come to an agreeable arrangement." Other Cory scowled, about to open her mouth to respond when the blond gripped her shoulder and stared into her eyes. "Sleep." _He could compel her._ Cory watched as she fell into his chest. The scene changed, fading into a bedroom where she was curled up sleeping in.

"Cory!" A feminine voice called out. The door to the bedroom flung upon.

"Cory!" Another voice after the first. The scene was slowly lightening. Klaus stood near the bed, head tilted, before rolling his eyes.

"I know you're awake, love." Cory watched herself stir, feeling drowsy herself…

* * *

"CORY WAKE UP!" Bonnie? Her eyes, that she had forgotten were closed, snapped open. Her eyes saw red.

"Stay still, honey." A wet washcloth pressed against her eyes. Cory clenched the table to keep herself upright. She could barely sit in the chair.

"Why-what happened?" Sheila pulled the washcloth away and sat beside her. Bonnie came into view, eyes red from crying. "Bon? What-?" Blood pooled on the table in front of her. _What the hell?_

"Your pulse was…irregular and slow."

"I thought you were dead," Bonnie interrupted her, tears brimming in her eyes, "I thought-I thought you'd never wake up."

"Bonnie." She could feel the emotion pile up inside her. The wall that blocked out her emotions for her entire childhood, her entire life, started crumbling. "I'm sorry. For scaring you." Cory settled on saying. She didn't trust herself to speak any further when Bonnie abruptly stood and hugged her. When they pulled away, she noticed blood on Bonnie's shirt. Cory motioned to the stain.

"Oh!" Sheila shook her head and left to get something to clean the table.

"Were my eyes bleeding? And my nose?" She touched her face and looked to her friend for answers.

"Yeah. We should go-go get ready for the party." She tilted her head towards the door and walked through without waiting for Cory. _That was probably a good idea_. She had to meet Stefan after all. She met Bonnie in the spare room where she was going through different articles of clothing.

"Bonnie, are you okay?" Cory questioned, feeling butterflies flutter in her stomach. The brunette spared her a glance.

"I-I just don't want to see you like that again." Bonnie dropped the shirt in her hands and spun to face her, hands on her hips, "You will never let yourself get hurt like that again. Not ever. Okay?" Bonnie grabbed her wrist, gripping tightly. Almost in desperation. Or in desperation. Cory wasn't the best at reading people. "Cory?"

"Yeah. I'll never do it again. I promise." It was a lie. She'd do it again. She'd jump in front of anyone trying to hurt her friends, so they'd live. Cory was beginning to understand the constant loyal protection from the Mystic Fall gang for each other. Her phone went off. _Mama_. In this world, Other Cory had been kidnapped as a baby and she had contacted her biological mother a year ago. She had seen her over the summer, unfortunately, she didn't remember her.

Mama was a Cuban woman who had married a Texan after she had Cory with her German father. Cory hadn't heard from the guy since she world jumped. If she was being frank, she had only known Mama for a week, but anyone who broke her heart and left her pregnant didn't deserve to know Cory. It was good to know where she came from. Even if one of her parents was a deadbeat.

"Hey, Mama. I'm at Bonnie's Grams' right now."

"Hi, Mariana!" Bonnie called out to Cory's mother and continued to sort through the mess they had on the bed. She stepped out of the room to give herself some privacy.

"Hi, angel. Tell Bonnie it's good to hear from her! How are you doing? How are the memories?" Mama was the mother that everyone had told Cory she deserved. When she meant everyone, she really meant all the adults who knew about Rachel and Jason's neglect. (Her parents from her world.) All her friends just knew that she had been adopted and now had contact with her biological family. Cory was pretty sure Liz, Jenna, Carol, and Sheila were the only ones who knew about her family life.

"I'm getting a few back," _on the mention of memories what happened between her and Klaus? _"How are Veronica and Natalie?" Her half-siblings were all older than her, turns out, she was the thirteenth child of a thirteenth mother. Weird, but she supposed that was her life. Mariana had been with Thomas, the Texan, and had six kids with him. Her biological father had five kids. Then Mariana fell in love with her deadbeat father who abandoned her the minute she had told him about having Cory.

Thus, she was the thirteenth child. Mama had twelve siblings. Her Abuela and Abuelo were still happily married and lived in Cuba. It was odd to go from being an only child surrounded by two adults to having twelve siblings, twelve Tías and Tios, and grandparents. She was still trying to remember her Spanish from high school, which only slightly helped when it came to dialects.

She didn't know her father, but all her half-siblings on that side called her just as much as her half-siblings on her mother's side. Constantly. They all worried about her and supported her. It was nice to know that her siblings had each other's numbers in case they needed to let everyone know if she needed them. It was sweet.

Veronica was five years older than her. She was engaged and about to have a baby, twins, they ran in the family it seemed. Natalie was three years older and texted her constantly about how boring Texas was when you lived at home with Veronica, their parents, and their grandparents.

"Veronica's doing great, she's finally in her eighth month. She'll give birth soon. I can feel it. Natalie's a pest, stop eavesdropping!" Mama yelled in rapid Spanish. There was a response, but Cory didn't quite catch it.

"She's just a little bored being stuck in between college classes." Natalie had dropped out and decided to pursue parties and guitar playing. The worst part was her lying to their parents about it.

"That doesn't give her the right to, BE NOSEY!" She laughed and the two chatted about Veronica's fiancé, Natalie needing to find a calling in life, and Anthony coming out. It was awesome. Anthony had told her that she was the one who gave him the support to tell everyone else. Cory was surprised to know he had been in the closet for his entire twenty-nine years of life. Poor guy.

He had assumed their mother and grandparents would shun him for their get married and have kids as quickly as possible attitudes. Turns out they knew, and they had been waiting for him to say it. Anthony informed her that she had made a cake, a rainbow one, and covered it in black frosting before cutting it to reveal the inside. Cory still giggled at the thought of everyone's expressions. That was one memory that had been brought back the minute he mentioned it.

"Alright, I have to get going or Bonnie's going to stab me for talking for so long." Cory sighed and had spent most of her time in the conversation moving the phone from one ear to the other. And then thinking about her connection to Klaus. _How had he caused her so much pain that she didn't even create a lie for her friends?_ "We're supposed to be going to a party to help get Elena a boyfriend." Mama chuckled,

"Of course, you are. You've always been a matchmaker. Well, I'll leave you to it. Vee wants to know if you can visit us next weekend?"

"Yeah, I can ask Liz about getting me there." Even if she didn't remember them, she knew she had to visit them sooner rather than later. Besides she couldn't miss Veronica's babies! _Cory loved kids_. "I want to be there when Vee gives birth. I want to hold my nieces." Yep, two girls.

"I'm glad you said that sweetie, I wanted to ask, but given the timing-," Mama sighed, "I love you, Cory. Be careful okay? I have a bad feeling about this year with you in that town." She's right, but it was better if her family outside of Mystic Falls stayed away from the supernatural. Even if she suspected that they were hiding something from her...

"I love you too, Mama. Tell Thomas to treat you good and Natalie to stop drinking so much." She had to play the role, for them.

"I will, goodbye!" Cory was glad she sounded so happy.

"Goodbye." She hung up and slid back into the spare bedroom to find Bonnie already dressed.

"Hey, that's cute, Mama says hi by the way." Bonnie smiled and gestured to the outfit laid out. A pair of black jeans, a dark red V-neck, cute brown combat boots, and a matching leather jacket.

"Thanks, Bon. I love it. I'll meet you in the car? We're picking up Elena and Caroline?" The brunette disappeared down the stairs after confirming that they were carpooling tonight. Cory dressed quick and paused at the knock at the door. She felt a strain on her head it was like putting on a hat that was too tight. A scene drifted in front of her, Sheila outside the door waiting. Cory breathed in and blinked away the vision. Her insides told her that she'd be having more of them.

"Hey, Sheila."

"I'd thought I'd warn you about the reason you were almost lost tonight."

"I was?" _She nearly died?  
_

"You were closer to death than you realize, child." Cory nodded and ran her fingers through her hair. She sighed and waited for the woman to continue. "The blood loss will continue if you don't exercise your abilities. Due to your coma, the point you were at before was been wiped. You're going to have to start over, Cory."

"I don't remember what I was like before-,"

"Not yet at the very least," Sheila interjected with a raised eyebrow.

"What?"

"Now that these hidden compartments are opened in your mind you can access them."

"I'll be able to remember everything?" Sheila nodded.

"Indeed. I did see a little before I pulled away to let you guide yourself." Cory stilled, she had to have seen _him_. "I don't know how you know that man, child. You need to stay away from him. You know what he is. What he's capable of." She nodded her understanding.

"I should go before Bonnie sets the car on fire." Cory joked and slipped past the witch. She was still going to save him. She knew how many people would stop her, call her insane, but she wouldn't let anyone die. No. Not on her watch. "I can meet with you tomorrow, during Bonnie's lesson, she might appreciate it if we learned together." Sheila nodded and told her to get her ass out of her house. She reminded Cory of her Gran. The one from her world. She had too much to remember.

* * *

"I can't believe her! Mallory Greene, she better watch out!" Her eyes were like fire as she spat the words.

"She just quit the team, Caroline. Relax." Caroline crossed her arms and glared at Bonnie.

"She didn't have to! The newest moves are great and everyone approves, but her. She's just all emotional over it not being her way."

"So, are you going to admit it?" Cory grinned at her and teasingly pushed Elena.

"Oh, boy gossip?" Caroline's eyes lit up. When they first showed up to the party, she had been convinced that Caroline would be by the entrance waiting for Stefan, but she had forgotten that she had altered her opinion on the vampire.

"There's nothing to tell!" Elena retorted, rolling her eyes and shoving her back with a small smile.

"Just admit it, Elena."

"Oh, okay, he's a little pretty."

"A little?" Caroline protested.

"He has that romance novel stare. Stefan looked deep into her eyes piercing her very soul." The cocky look on Bonnie's face made them grin and giggle.

"So, where is he?"

"You're the witch." Caroline shrugged, Elena tapped Cory's shoulder,

"Why? When we have a seer." She rolled her eyes. This is what they wanted to use her visions for? It made her smile. Bonnie and Cory had agreed that keeping them in the dark about her being the Blessed. It was to keep them protected. If they knew people would die. _She had seen her nearly get Klaus killed, though she doubted they had the power to kill him. He's too stubborn._

"Right, wait-," Caroline shoved her beer bottle in the center of them. "You two need-,"

"A crystal ball."

"A crystal ball!" Caroline and Elena smiled at their simultaneous outbursts. Cory was glad she had kept the three of them close. She did recall the night they had spent at Elena's that she was the glue that kept the three of them from fighting and breaking away over the years.

"We're not psychics any more guys," the witch rolled her eyes and continued. "But, I just have to concentrate, at least that's what Grams said," she eyed the seer next to her.

"Yeah, focusing on what you want to see is how it generally works, but touch is how you get different vibes from people." Cory didn't know how she knew that. Residual memories?

"Alright, well here." Elena held out her hand to Bonnie, she touched it and gasped. She stared off into space the images running through her head.

"Bonnie?" Cory asked softly. She rested a hand on her arm; hoping it was comforting.

"What? Did you see something?" Caroline pestered, eyes flickering over to hers, "Cor? Is she okay?" She could only nod. Act the part. She was pretending she didn't know what was going on after all.

"I saw a crow. There was a fog. A man." She shook her head, about to debunk it, but Cory stopped her.

"Did you feel cold?" She nodded.

"Did it feel like…death?" She didn't answer. She didn't have to. Her silence gave them all they needed.

"Oh, god," Elena whispered, shaking her head. Caroline grasped her hand and squeezed. Out of the corner of her eye, the two shared a look and a quick nod of reassurance. It made Cory smile. _Everyone was getting along._

"This brings us to something I have for all of you." She reached into her pocket to pull out four bracelets full of vervain. She had gotten the vervain from Sheila. Then with some of Liz's money, which she promised to pay her back, Cory had bought them matching bracelets. They were simply made of silver with triangle shaped lockets that had small circular lapis lazuli gems settled into the chain.

"Are those-?"

"Friendship bracelets!" Caroline reached forward for one. "They're so pretty! The locket-,"

"Don't open it." Cory chided her. "It's for protection." She had filled that part with the vervain.

"Protection from what?" Elena inquired. Her eyebrow raised as she took one gently from her open palms.

"Vampires." Bonnie finished, snagging one and pulling it over her wrist. "That's what I saw isn't it?" She murmured, staring distractedly at the accessory. Cory gave her a discreet nod when Caroline and Elena's heads snapped towards them.

"Tell me you're joking." Elena pleaded,

"No, they're serious." Caroline breathed, shaking her head and letting out a breath.

"You deserved to know. We know what's out there and once things start happening, we need to be prepared. The friends we make, they need us to be ready."

"Okay, that's enough of vague seer stuff for one day." Caroline snarked. We laughed at the weird turn of their lives when Elena stiffened.

"That means, in the cemetery, a vampire he was-he was-," her voice trailed off.

"Watching you, yeah. It's okay, we'll protect each other. Carpooling. No one goes to bed without saying goodnight." She began listing ways of going against vampires. No invitation, without consulting her at least, and stakes. A scene clogged her senses before she could mention sunlight being a weakness. Stefan walking towards them. Now.

"Stef! Hey, how are you?" His face was composed, but she knew he didn't appreciate him talking about vampires to her friends. His forehead creased and he eyed everyone warily.

"You know what? We, Bonnie, Cory and I, should get some new drinks." Caroline grabbed her arm, and then Bonnie's, and marched us away from the two. Once she knew they were too far for Elena to hear. She let Bonnie and Caroline go ahead. Stopping in her path to ease her friend.

"They don't know you're a vampire. They just know they exist. I'm still protecting you, Stefan." Cory threw a look over her shoulder to meet his eyes and he nodded. He heard. Hopefully, he'd forgive her. All of this seemed so real now. Before she could joke, but this dread, these visions, _Klaus_, it was messing with her. She remembered Tyler and Vicki and walked off to where they were about to hold hands.

"Hey, sorry, but have you two seen a friend of mine? He's tall, black hair, blue eyed, and he's a bit of a cocky jackass?"

"Wait, a dude? What the hell do you think you're doing with a guy. No. Cory." _Excuse me?_

"I think he went into the woods, so I'll be-,"

"NO! That screams creep!" Vicki cried. They were worried about her? This world was odd.

"It's-,"

"No."

"No." They both said at the same time. They crossed their arms and glared at her.

"Fine, then you," she pointed to Tyler, "You need to go find Matt and tell him you're sorry for being an ass earlier at the Grill. And you," she pointed to Vicki, "Go find Jeremy, and stop being so rude to him." Tyler scowled about to open his mouth. Cory glared at him.

"Fine, I'll see you later." He gave Vicki heart eyes and Cory groaned when the two of them kissed in front of her.

"Do I have to talk to Elena's-," Vicki started once Tyler was a good distance away.

"Kid brother? Isn't he the one you slept with repeatedly during the summer?" She flinched and became interested in the ground. "Vicki. Bluntly tell him you're with Tyler and that you aren't going to be with him."

"You think that'll help?" Cory shrugged.

"Or…"

"Or?"

"Date Jeremy and break up with Tyler. Or date Tyler and tell Jeremy you're done. Honestly, my advice is to choose what you want. You could even stop dealing with both and focus on you for now." Vicki grit her teeth and shoved her hands into her coat.

"What good is that going to do?"

"Vick," she felt herself soften, "I have always thought I meant nothing to everyone. I still think that. You need people that make you feel needed. From what you've told me, you have a hard time seeing that with Tyler. Is it the same with Jeremy? Or do you need to back up and think about your choices?" She gripped the girl's shoulders and grinned when she finally looked up at her. Her eyes thoughtful as she bit her lip and nodded her understanding.

"Oh, and for you." She gave Vicki a silver locket necklace with lapis lazuli gemstones. If anyone turned they could use the gift (after removing the vervain) for their daylight accessory. "And this," she gave the girl two leather bracelets, one with a J and the other with a T. "They're for Jer and Ty, whenever you can give it to them, you should probably say they're from me." She nodded absently and made her way towards the youngest Gilbert.

Cory stalked her way to the woods after she left. She smiled as Jeremy's eyes widened and he dropped his beer bottle beside him. Now, someone needed to be Damon's victim. She didn't always have the best ideas. They worked. So far. At least they sort of did. Once she stepped into the woodsy path, she regretted her decision. The icy fear clamped over her veins when she stepped into a trail that irked her memory. The fog started.

"Creepy," Cory spoke out loud, lips curling into a smile. She was going to meet Damon! _Would she survive it?_ She continued walking. The trees were dark and looming. The ground had become nearly invisible due to the fog.

"So, what's a pretty thing like you doing out here?" She spun face to face, inches away, from Damon Salvatore. She could hear her heart in her ears. He smirked, clearly enjoying her fear.

"Seer business. I came here to A: make a deal, B: might get eaten for A, and C: there's isn't a C." Cory hummed, "I should plan better next time."

"Seer business?" He rose an eyebrow at her, he let a finger press against her lips to stop her from responding. "I know actually, you and Stef have been getting all buddy buddy. The real question is why he didn't just force the information out of you." He grabbed her without thinking twice.

"Damon!" She squeaked at the sudden motion.

"What do you want with Stefan?" Cory let her bracelet fall to the ground. She thought deeply how much she wanted the compulsion to work. And immediately faked it the best she could. Monotonous voice and all.

"I want to help get off his bunny diet. I want you two to be brothers again and I am trying to convince him to apologize to you so the three of us can open the tomb."

"What do you want from the tomb?"

"Nothing. You opening the tomb gets rid of the notion of being with Katherine."

"Why?" He growled, vampire side flaring.

"She isn't in the tomb. She lied to you."

"LIAR!" He launched himself at her throat, she had predicted it and didn't stop him. It was very painful. A lot more so when he was torn away from her by an angry Stefan.

"Damon! Leave her!" The older Salvatore grabbed Stefan and flung him into one of the trees near them.

"Stefan, this isn't how this was supposed to go." She felt her head spin and odd rush of vibration that she had felt at the hospital when Grayson was alive shuddered over her. The distant yelling of brother's ceased, and her vision blackened. Damn, how often was she going to pass out? She really hoped she wouldn't be in a coma…

* * *

"It's good to see you brother!" Damon growled and shoved him into another tree.

"Why are you here!" Stefan demanded, a groan leaving him when he tried to stand.

"I could ask you the same question," he grabbed Stefan by the lapels of his jacket and cornered him against the tree. "However, I'm fairly certain your answer can be summed up all into one little word; Elena." Stefan exhaled and shoved against him.

"Let me heal her!"

"The seer, she tastes great by the way, highly recommend it actually." Damon made a face, "bunnies again?" He tsked and let him drop to the ground. Stefan rushed to Cory's side and closed his eyes. Her heartbeat was steady. He bit into his wrist and made sure in her unconscious state that she swallowed it.

"She took my breath away, Elena. She's a dead ringer for Katherine." Damon smirked at his little brother, before letting it thin out into a serious look. "The seer's even damn cute, even if she pissed me off. So, is it working, Stefan? Being around her? Being in her world? Does it make you feel alive?" He grinned at him mischievously.

"She's not Katherine." Stefan stood, his whole-body tense from the closeness of Damon.

"Well, let's hope not. We both know how that ended. Tell me something, when's the last time you had something stronger than a squirrel?"

"I know what you're doing Damon, it's not going to work."

"Is she telling the truth?" Stefan blinked surprising flickering over his features.

"What?"

"Don't play dumb with me, Stefan. Is." He stepped closer each word emphasized, "She. Telling. The. Truth. It's not that hard little brother. What did she tell you?" His jaw clenched and he eyed his older brother.

"She told me the same thing, Damon. That she wants to help me with human blood. Wants us to be brothers again. To help you open the tomb. I didn't know that Katherine's not in-,"

"NO! That's the lie, Stefan! She's in there! The seer's playing with us." Damon sped and pulled Cory into him.

"Damon!"

* * *

"God, you got to be kidding me!" Elena frowned at her brother's slurred movements.

"What is it?" Caroline followed her line of sight.

"My brother." Bonnie winced and glanced around the party.

"Hey, where's Cory?" Caroline straightened up. Elena scowled,

"I don't know, last I saw she was talking to Tyler and Vicki. Excuse me." She sighed and slipped from the railing she sat upon. "Jeremy!" She called after her brother, trailing after him into the woods.

"Maybe she's waiting by the car?" Bonnie muttered, nudging Caroline out of her watchful stance.

"That isn't like, Cory." They both nodded and began looking for their missing friend.

"Jeremy! Jeremy! Where the hell are you going?"

"I don't want to hear it!"

"Stefan?" Stefan Salvatore froze, beside a dark-haired man who held Cory upright. Elena's eyes zeroed in on the blood on her neck.

"Oh, my god!" Jeremy rushed forward to see the wound, oddly finding nothing, "what the hell happened?" He demanded the two brothers.

"Jeremy, come here," Elena ordered, teeth clenched, heart racing. She knew what he was. What Stefan might be.

"Elena are you insane? Cory was injured and-,"

"You," Damon shoved Cory into Stefan carelessly, "Can shut up, forget this happened, and go back to the party. Say you found Cory passed out in the woods."

"What the hell man-,"

"You ass! You can't compel my brother!" Elena stomped forward, pressing the vervain bracelet to his face, "How dare you hurt my best friend!" She glared as Damon hissed at the burning on his cheek. Jeremy grabbed Cory from Stefan, ignoring what was happening in front of him, and dragged her back to the party panicked.

"It's okay Cor."

"Elena-!"

"Don't. I know what he is Stefan." She shot a dark look towards him, "I know what you are, you need to stay away." The tears that swam in her eyes made him back a step.

"Oh, my god, Cory!" Caroline cried and ran towards Jeremy who held her. He struggled with his hold on her and had to settle her on the forest floor.

"Cory!" Bonnie cried, "Is she okay-," she stopped mid-sentence to see Elena and the man she had briefly seen in her vision. "YOU!" Bonnie stomped towards them.

"What?" Caroline asked glancing over at her two angry friends and the two vampires. She looked at the blood on Cory's neck and her blood ran cold. "No. You bit her!" She shot up and followed Bonnie.

"She's fine, what did you tell everyone and their mother's brother, Stefan?" Damon hissed at his younger sibling, anger clearly bubbling to the surface.

"Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, this is Damon. My brother." The defeat was easy to see. This was it. He was done pretending.

"Your brother bit our best friend!" Caroline shrieked, a mixture of anger and disbelief tormented her.

"She provoked me and she's fine," Damon replied dryly. "Stef, here, he healed her. No worries and I'd back off if I were the three of you." His vampire face crept over his facial features. He jerked forward.

"Damon!" Stefan placed a hand to his brother's chest "Leave them-,"

"Alone. You know that's a good idea! Let them know about our existence. That sounds great. Because I know you can't compel all of them with your bunny diet and all. You really should've taken a bite it tasted-,"

"Bunny diet?" Elena quizzed. Bonnie glared back and forth.

"Taste? That's my best friend, asshole!" Caroline surged forward and pointed at the older Salvatore.

"WAIT!" Cory's head ached and a quick look in front of her made her panic. She changed the timeline just a bit too much. Damn. She royally fucked up. "Stop!" The group spun to face her. Cory scurried up, "He heard things he's not ready to hear. It's my fault. I should've kept my mouth shut. But, since we're all here." Cory directed her attention to Damon. "Hear me out, please."

"Cory-!" Bonnie narrowed her eyes at her, she knew she wanted to scold her,

"Damon, we can help you open the tomb. Bonnie's a witch, but you already knew the Bennett's were. If we open the tomb. Damon gets what the wants and he leaves the town alone." She put herself between her human and vampire friends. "I'll help you and I know Bonnie trusts me, so she'll help if I ask her to, as well as Sheila." Damon scoffed,

"I'm sure. This is all your plan, isn't it? I trust you and then you never let me in that tomb." He took one step, immediately Bonnie had her left, Caroline her right, and Elena gripped her shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye, Jeremy glared at Damon and Stefan watched his brother curiously.

"Do you want to see us open it?" She didn't give him time to react, Cory grabbed his arm and focused on the day the tomb opened on the show. The images flashed between them, Bonnie and Grams doing the spell. Stefan, Elena and him waiting for it to go inside, and the image of him bringing Elena.

"What the-you!" Damon dove for her neck. The vision of him screaming that Katherine wasn't in there slipped through. She couldn't lie to anyone she gave them to.

"Damon!" The burning pain of fangs buried in her neck returned and she crumpled to the ground, her friends screaming, Stefan and Damon fighting. This wasn't supposed to go this way…

"Care!" Cory reached for her friend. Her vision was blurry so she could make out a gold blob above her face.

"I'm right here, you'll be okay." The blonde grabbed her hand and called for Jeremy. "We need to get her to the hospital-!"

"No. I need to heal. Stefan already gave me some of his blood." Elena made a face when she appeared in her vision. "It's working slowly because he drinks animal blood."

"They can do that?" Elena asked. Finally, she could clearly see Caroline to her left, Elena to the right and Jeremy behind her head. Bonnie, she could hear, argued with Stefan.

"That's pretty weird..." Jeremy commented. Cory smiled at that while Elena smacked his arm.

"Here, let me give her more." Stefan appeared looking only a little disgruntled.

"Damon's gone, isn't he?" She mumbled and drank from his wrist. Everyone watched with a combination of fascination and disgust. Was is the blood or the vampirism? _Or both?_

"Yeah." He raked his fingers through his hair and sighed. "He shouldn't have-"

"I forgive him and I forgive you. I forgive everyone involved in this, okay? Don't worry so much. It isn't your fault. You drink animal blood and your brother goes through rages where he kills people around you to keep you from having a normal life, Stefan. I get it. You've never wanted to hurt people with your blood lust. It's hard to control." The anger from her friends cooled and they gave Stefan sympathetic looks. "Besides, it's mostly Katherine who made him like this."

"Katherine?"

"We should really start from the beginning, huh?" She gave them a sheepish smile. _This took a turn I didn't expect._

* * *

**I'll try to update tomorrow! Thanks for reading! I hope I wrote Damon alright. **


	4. Chapter 4

**Hello! Sorry for being quiet for a bit. I needed some time to think. I don't want to keep writing and writing until I burn out. A day or two to recuperate is always good to refresh the head. Thank you for reading, favoriting, and following! Honestly, thank you. I look back at some things I write and always dislike a thing or two. Or I think I could've changed this or that. Everyone who wants to read this is the only reason I keep writing.**

**Special Thanks to:**

**cghvkjbb: When you reviewed I was already writing about Jenna finding out. Matt, Tyler, and Vicki will find out soon... I think someone might need to be triggered soon, but maybe not. I don't know I just go with what I feel should happen. Funny how that happens isn't it? I'm glad you like the story! I hope you continue to like it!**

**PrincessMagic: I'm glad you like it! I am being one hundred percent real when I say I smiled and said "They like it!" out loud to myself. Thank you for reviewing it made me more motivated to write.**

**On a side note... I am in the process of moving and it is a farm. So, fair warning I might be updating less in the future...Or the chapters will be shorter, which I don't want to do because personally, I like longer chapters as a reader and I want to give that to the people who read my stuff. I know that Cory seems well liked and flawless kind of, but I plan on giving her lots of conflict with others especially her connection with Klaus. Which I cannot wait for it. I hope I am writing her flaws in well, if not feel free to yell at me or something. **

**You guys are awesome thank you for reading!**

* * *

_Chapter Four_

"So, are we going to tell Aunt Jenna?" Jeremy asked as the humans, witch, and seer piled into Bonnie's car. After discussing with all of them about Stefan and Damon's past with Katherine, who she informed Elena is her ancestor. When Jeremy asked why she hadn't included him, she broke the news to them, being as apologetic as possible. Cory made sure that Elena understood they'd find her birth parents, but at the right time. The whole passing out thing when the timeline veered was brought up.

"No."

"Yes." Cory and Elena shared a look. One disapproving and one sheepish. "She deserves to know, even if she doesn't believe it. Stefan's meeting us at your house so we can tell her."

"What about my mom?" Caroline asked from the backseat.

"Liz already knows. Technically the founding families were taught about vampires when they were kids."

"What?"

"Really?" Cory nodded and looked over her shoulder to watch the two Gilbert's and the blonde.

"So, it will be easy to tell Jenna?" Elena mumbled, playing with her fingers anxiously.

"What about, _you know_." Bonnie narrowed her eyes at her.

"Tyler, Vicki, and Matt?" She frowned. Realization dawned over her. "You mean werewolves!" Bonnie rolled her eyes.

"No, I meant the fairies. Yes, the wolves!" Sassy Bonnie was her favorite Bonnie.

"Werewolves are real too?" Jeremy excitedly nodded and muttered cool repeatedly.

"Are there werewolves-?" Caroline trailed off

"No, not yet anyway. To be a werewolf you have to kill someone to trigger the gene."

"Like dementia?" Cory nodded to Elena.

"Yeah, it doesn't matter if you stab someone or accidentally bump them in front of a speeding bus. Nature will see it as a why to trigger who you are."

"So, who has the gene?" Caroline questioned, glancing at everyone in the car.

"The Lockwood's. Werewolves are angry, gene on or off, especially during the full moon. A werewolf bite is also fatal to vampires, within days they die."

"That's Tyler in a nutshell." Jeremy grumbled, clearly agitated by the thought of the teenager.

"It's also why his dad is horrible to him and his mom." It wasn't confirmed, but someone who was so…Cory just knew from experience, hell Klaus probably would tell you. There were signs and she knew that the Mayor gave them. She and Klaus were a bit similar, weren't they? Shitty parents and a love for art you'd think they'd get along… Wait. They had to have been friends. The car silenced for a minute.

"Wait, why didn't Stefan talk about werewolves?" Bonnie scrunched her nose and glanced at her as she drove. Cory recognized how close they were to Elena's.

"The Salvatore's don't know they exist. They're rare. They were hunted once vampires found out they could kill them."

"Assholes." Jeremy stated,

"Jer!" Elena scolded and reached over Caroline to smack his arm.

"What they are! You met Damon!" Bonnie parked the car and they all noticed the lights on in the dining room. It was 8 p.m. what was Jenna doing-

"Is that _Damon_?" Caroline whispered fearfully.

"Yeah, it is." Elena grit her teeth and slammed the car door open. Cory didn't remember Elena being so aggressive when she found out about vampires. That was a place where Cory wasn't living in. The timeline she knew in her world. It was no lie, she was aggressive when people threatened the people she loved, cared, or protected. Cory wondered if she had changed the dynamic so much that even the character she knew had changed ever so slightly. Or not slightly at all.

She immediately started after the brunette. Inside in the dining room at the table, Damon on one end, Jenna on the other who looked unimpressed and Stefan hovered near the entryway of the room, arms crossed.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Elena hissed at Stefan, grabbing his arm and pulled him into the hallway.

"Damon!" Cory greeted him cheerfully. "I see Jenna let you in. We are here to talk about tomb stuff, right?" Damon narrowed his eyes at her. They flicked across her face and he tilted his head. He was waiting for it. Listening for the deception. Or fear.

"I got it. He likes to talk about himself. He's Stefan's older brother. Why are you hanging around teenagers anyway?" Jenna asked, an accusation clear in her voice.

"I'm just keeping an eye on my little brother, Jenna. How about you do what we talked about earlier." She robotically stood and walked to the kitchen.

"Damon, what are you doing?" Stefan launched himself beside the woman, who he barely saved from stabbing herself with one of the kitchen knives.

"Jenna!"

"Oh, my god!" Bonnie, Jeremy, and Caroline and stepped in to see the event occur.

"So," Damon batted around his glass of water. "What's the game plan, hmm? I kill everyone in this house, or we open tomb tonight." He leaned forward and smiled at her, "Your choice, Cory."

"If we open the tomb at the wrong time, Anna, you know her Pearl's daughter? She wants into the tomb to get her mother out. We help her at the same time we help you. Otherwise, if we open the tomb wrong. Which will happen if we do it when Bonnie can't help Sheila. Every vampire will get out and certain people will find out and the most powerful vampires will come and kill everyone in this town. You did promise Stefan an eternity of misery? It's a little hard to do that when he's dead." Cory absently inspected her nails, carefully reining in her breathing. She knew her heart wasn't racing she was controlling her reaction too well as if discussing the weather.

Of course, she knew that Klaus wouldn't kill everyone. That was ridiculous, none of the Originals really killed anyone in Mystic Falls. Least of all Stefan, but at this moment she needed Damon's secret love for Stefan and his desire to open the tomb to be exploited. He was off the wagon and she needed him to be on it.

"Besides, we need that talisman, and we need to dig up your father's grave to get Emily Bennett's grimoire or you can consider that tomb never being opened with or without the comet." Damon leaned back,

"Hmm. I have to admit," his eyes raked over her. "I love a woman who can talk business-," Bonnie and Elena rolled their eyes. Cory took note of the rest of the occupants moving closer, Stefan and Elena holding Jenna in the kitchen who still eyed anything sharp. "I get this stuff for her-," he pointed to Bonnie, never letting his gaze leave Cory's, "And the grandma, we open the tomb with little Annie, and I get Katherine out. What do you get?"

"I don't get knocked out for waiting too long to open it. See Damon, my health is on the line. Whenever the chosen timeline is taken off its course I'll pass out. I want to be your friend just as much as Stefan's and help you with whatever horrible situation you get yourself into." He narrowed his eyes and scoffed. "Please. The less death we can cause the better. You don't understand what you're messing-," Her head spun. It reminded her of her passing out when Damon first bit her. When she woke up in the Edge alone. Again.

* * *

Cory woke up in an unfamiliar bedroom, a desk glued to the wall, the bed she laid in was King sized and lonely looking, the walk-in closet stood next to the bathroom and the sizable room housed a large dresser. The floors were a beautifully polished oak and the shoes-

Shoes?

"Well, look what the cat dragged in." A wicked smirk greeted her. Tall, blond, and blue-eyed. "I didn't think I'd ever see you here again, love."

"Klaus," Cory sat up and looked for an exit. Wherever she was it felt real. She had wanted to talk to Life, not Klaus, he made her feel odd. Ignoring the whole flustered feeling because he's attractive, but the feeling was an…ache? Cory didn't understand and she didn't want to. She would never be in a relationship. She knew why. She had been told why and she wouldn't let anyone near her like that. She was still surprised her friends had called it a fling. It meant she broke her number one rule. Never let anyone in. No one needed to burdened by her.

"Something's a little off about you." He looked as he always did. Jeans and t-shirt with his leather jacket. He watched her cautiously as if a word would set her off. She frowned. _Why was this so real?_

"I was in a coma for four months, and a week later, I get knocked out by a vampire. So, I might be a little frazzled. You know with my Amnesia and all." Klaus froze when she mentioned it. Her Amnesia that is.

"Amnesia, hmm? How, unfortunate for you, sweetheart." He spun around and trailed around the room distractedly. When he said that...it sounded like he actually _meant_ it. The whole sweetheart thing. When they first met it was used to irk her, but here...

"Where are we?" There were no windows, there wasn't a door, it was like the room exited outside of reality.

"You don't remember it." He stated, settling into the desk chair before raising his legs to rest on the desk. Cory analyzed every movement trying to understand his emotions. He pulled his arms behind his head and gave her a sly smile.

"Fortunate for you though, huh?" She rose a quizzical eyebrow at the Original and busied herself with feeling for anything that could indicate she was dreaming. There wasn't. This was something else…

"Our subconscious' are connected," he rolled his eyes. "Sorry, linked. Would be the better term."

"How? Why would you want that?" He titled his head at her, his face melting into a guarded mask.

"There wasn't a choice, love. It happened the minute we met. Of course, you might not recall-,"

"No, I got that memory, went to a witch for help. Apparently, I was upset about some fling I had in the past." Cory gauged his expression, only a small slip of composure gave her a little insight. Guilt. He felt responsible for her heartbreak. She never got close to people, it was something she couldn't afford to do the last time she did- It didn't matter. It would never happen again.

"You couldn't search the memories yourself?" Klaus questioned innocently. He knew more about her abilities than she probably did. _And he's avoiding the subject from before_. She didn't see a reason to dwell on it and let him get away with changing the conversation.

"Coma." He hummed and drummed his fingers against his thigh. Cory eyed his daylight ring.

"That does explain most of," he waved the hand that held his daylight and smirked victoriously when her eyes followed, "this."

"Not really. Glad you seem peachy about it. You said you hadn't seen me in a while?" Klaus looked towards the wall, almost in a daze. "Klaus?" His head snapped towards her.

"We had a…falling out. Either of us can block the link. You've had it blocked for quite a while." He sounded too neutral about it. His eyes flickered back and forth between indifference and she wasn't too sure what that emotion was, but it was softer. She really needed to talk about something else, some warm feeling rushed over her chest and she didn't want to pay it much mind. He's a thousand years old who'd end up…not with anyone, he dies. It made her shudder as she remembered watching the end of the Originals. It wasn't going to end like that. She was going to change it, Fate be damned. Fate could kill her if it meant she saved him and Elijah.

"About your curse. I don't know if I told you, but I know where the moonstone is, and I know where the doppelgänger is. The human one." Klaus' jaw clenched and he narrowed his eyes at her.

"Excuse me?" He sped in front of her. Eye to eye. Betrayal was dead set in his gaze. "You're telling me, all that time we spent, and you knew? You knew?" He growled at her, vampire side flaring.

"I did it to protect my family. The people I love. I will help you break your curse, but I want to do it my way." She calmly responded to the angry Original, hopefully, she didn't piss him off too much. "If you find a werewolf and a vampire sacrifice, as well as a witch to do the spell, not Greta." Her nostrils flared when she remembered her death along with the Martins. They weren't going to die this time. "We plan a full moon and you'll be a hybrid far sooner than you realize." Klaus laughed, turning away from her.

"Oh, I've forgotten how sweet you are, love. But," in an instant he was in front of her, "I am not waiting, you will tell me her location and give me the moonstone. Or you can consider-,"

"Everyone, I know and love dead? Tell me where I live, Niklaus." He scowled and moved away from Cory. He paced around the bed before stopping in his tracks.

"Then we're even. You betrayed me. Now we're even. I agree to your terms if you agree to mine."

"You…betrayed me? How?" He growled and shot her a dark look. And he betrayed her. If they were friends it would hurt. But it didn't hurt, well may be looking at him made her uneasy and nervous, but she didn't feel angry with him. Either her memory loss made her forgive him quicker or Other Cory moved on.

"Agree or-,"

"Or what? We're stuck inside our minds!" She sighed and shook her head. _Deep breaths Cory, he's just a person. An insufferable ass, but a person, nonetheless_. "I will help you and in exchange, we do it my way. We both move past the betrayals, even if I don't remember one of them. Deal?"

"I can agree to those terms."

"We have a few months before the event can take place," Klaus growled again, _seriously why do vampires growl so much? _"If I don't follow the set timeline I get knocked out until it is set correctly. So, either I help you and we might get it done a little faster or you work by yourself and it might take longer." Her vision spun. The room vibrated.

"You're waking up, love." He commented, mildly irritated. Cory groaned,

"But I wanted to ask you something important!" Klaus smirked then crossed his arms.

"I'll see you again, love." He did that rolling his eyes back while tilting his head and grinned crookedly. She agreed with Camille he needed to stop smiling so...ugh. "Asleep or awake."

"What?" She felt her face heat, why was he looking at her like that? That wasn't-he wasn't it? Ugh, Mikaelsons.

* * *

Her eyes snapped open, meeting another pair of blue eyes.

"Hey there." He wiggled his fingers at her. Damon.

"Damon," Stefan glared at him. He helped Cory up into a sitting position on the Gilbert's couch. Bonnie hovered near them, throwing daggered looks at Damon, next to her Caroline smiled in relief at the sight of her. Behind them, Jenna looked freaked out and glanced at Damon and Stefan cautiously. Elena and Jeremy stood beside their aunt similar relieved looks on their faces. They told her. Good. Now she just needed Klaus to get his sacrifices and prepare a witch for the ritual. They didn't have to worry about that for a while. Katherine and the tomb, on the other hand, was concerning.

"So, you were telling the truth, huh? Good to know."

"Are you going to let us help you? Or try by yourself? I can talk to Sheila and Bonnie, most witches hate vampires-,"

"Yeah, yeah. I've already been told." He rolled his eyes and shoved his face near hers, "But, we fail to open the tomb, or something else happens, bye bye seer." He smirked and sped away.

"Asshole."

"Jenna!" Jenna grinned. Jeremy laughed. Elena spun around and scowled at the two. Bonnie rolled her eyes while Caroline giggled with Cory and Stefan smiled softly. They were slowly building the Mystic Falls gang.

* * *

"Did you tell Damon to stop eating the locals, so we get less attention from the Council?" Cory asked Stefan as they walked towards the boarding house. It had been a late night at the Gilbert's she made sure Bonnie and Caroline drove home after saying she needed to go to the boarding house with Stefan. At first, everyone had been against the idea, even Caroline who took her side on things, but in the end, she had convinced them. Cory had to make sure that the least amount of people died. This included Damon's victims in the first season.

"Nope, but you just did." Damon popped up next to them, just as they reached the front door, "Allow me." He opened the door and smirked as she rolled her eyes.

"They know about vampires and have no issue with killing you." She replied pointedly at the older vampire. "You should tell Zach to get out of Mystic Falls, he'll end up dead if he stays here." Stefan nodded and went to find his nephew.

"So," Damon waved around the foyer. The house was as beautiful as she remembered. "You see the future. What have you seen?" He waggled his eyebrows. Cory laughed and covered her mouth. Was he trying to flirt with her? She thought it was funny, but a weird sensation in her chest, near her heart, throbbed. Why did she feel so lonely suddenly? _Don't dwell on it_.

"Not telling. I'd probably pass out." Cory walked around him to follow where Stefan ran to. "By the way, Call of the Wild is one of the best books ever written."

"Ahh, someone who agrees with me. Is that the truth," he stepped into her bubble and bore his eye into hers, "Or a lie to get me on your good side?"

"I read Call of the Wild before my visions came through with you in them, Damon. And you can hear my heart so is it truth or a lie?" She countered and crossed her arms. She had read Call of the Wild on her own at the library in her World. It was one of her favorite books next to Ella Enchanted. When Damon had said it in the Vampire Diaries she had realized that as much as she loved Stefan, Damon ultimately won her over just a tiny bit more. In this world, her attachment to the two of them was even. If not she was even more attached.

"Here." Stefan gave her a plastic bag full of vervain. "This should cover all of our bases."

"All of them? More like too many. Thank you, Stefan." Cory turned towards Damon, "Thank you, Damon." He gave her a quizzical look.

"For letting me help you open the tomb. IF we do it my way, you won't have a pissed off witch for the next few years." She smiled and marched to the door. "I'm going to walk home!" Cory didn't give them a chance to answer, she walked up the path to the waiting car.

"Did you get it?" Bonnie asked in the driver's, Caroline sat beside her in the passenger.

"Yep, let's get home." That had been the deal, to let her walk with Stefan, who she cleared any weirdness with and persuaded to continue going to school as well as talk to Elena. Cory had told him she'd come around eventually. Which she would with Cory pestering her. Tomorrow was the night of the comet. Nothing was going to happen, was it? She had been attacked by Damon instead of Vicki. Hopefully, Damon didn't attack her for fun…

* * *

Cory stood in the middle of a forest surrounded by the dark. The Edge was darker than she remembered.

"Hello?" She called into the silence of the trees. Waiting for someone or something to respond. She supposed that she preferred waiting alone in the Edge's forest than in her night terrors. It had been nine days since she had heard from her parent, Life and she yet to meet her other parent Death.

"Hello, my daughter." A shadowy figure stood behind her. Not Life. He gave off a darker kind of vibe, it reminded her of being around Klaus, Damon, and Stefan. Cory couldn't say how she felt it, but she felt it. She blamed on being the Blessed. It was so much easier being a normal average seer.

"You're Death?" The figure was neither feminine nor masculine. It just existed.

"Yes." Death's voice was cool and deep while Life's had been whispery and light.

"I wanted to ask, why is my mind linked to another's?" Cory didn't want to say who unless she absolutely needed too. She had a feeling they already knew anyway. The figure tilted their head and sighed.

"There are many who help create my list." He vanished and reappeared a foot away from her. Had they meant their list of who dies next? Whoa. She wasn't telling any vampire that, their ego would balloon. "You prevent death more than you should at times, my daughter. You keep Life's light but are cast over with my shadow. You needed a counterweight. I had someone in mind, but this link happened without our knowledge."

"Then who-?"

"Nature themselves. They created this the minute you met the counter."

"Okay, what does it mean?" Death hummed.

"I don't have access to such information. Neither does Life, but this person is drenched in my darkness only traces of Life's light burn them." Cory nodded and looked down at her feet. Yeah, that sounded like Klaus. So, they were destined to be best friends, good to know.

"Why haven't I seen anyone in a while, have you been busy?"

"Yes. I wished to greet you before Life spoke with you again. I've been held up by Karma. They had to interfere, let us wait, before meeting one another." They sounded annoyed. Cory smiled.

"I'm guessing that you don't have a specific pronoun." Death cocked their head,

"No, I don't mind if you selected one either."

"I wasn't going to. I'd call you my parent. I have a mother. I have a father. I have a dad and I have a Mama, but I don't have a parent. I don't have parents so to speak." She bit her lip and looked up at the shadow, "I can call you that, right? My parent?" Maybe she read this wrong, just because they created her didn't mean they wanted her-

"Yes. I would like that. I think Life would as well." The shadow beamed at her. Good. This would be uncomfortable if they had said no.

"Are you two a _thing_?"

"A thing?" The confusion was clear, it made her smile.

"Like partners? Companions?"

"Yes. We have known one another for a millennium. I prefer-We work best together." Cory grinned at their attempt to hide that they liked working with Life.

"That's sweet," she frowned a moment pondering what to say next. "When I die, will you be dealing with my soul? How does dying work?"

"No," Death whispered softly, "You are not of Death because you are a part of Life. And you are not of Life because you are a part of Death."

"Oh." Really? Could she even be more awkward?

"When someone dies, their soul goes through reformation. They look at everything they've done."

"Like looking into their past?" Death tilted their head.

"No. time doesn't exist, Cory. As the Blessed, remember that, time doesn't exist. Things happen all at the same time. Humans merely measure because they have not realized that it all happens as they speak." She nodded and listened further. "Once they are reformed, they choose a new life. Reformation takes a while, Karma guides them. The choosing of a new life is done with Fate."

"Then Life gives them life and you give death when Death is needed?" Death smiled at her and nodded.

"Yes. That is what occurs. Are you well informed or would like to discuss it once more?" The sentence might have made her think he was being rude, but the tone of voice was soft. Death truly meant it. He reminded her of Castiel from Supernatural. Confused by everything human and taking everything, they do or say literally. Sadly Supernatural didn't exist in this world. It made her sad, she wanted to watch season fifteen! It was because Balthazar was played by Sebastian Roché who plays Mikael. He is Mikael now. She needed to take a picture with him if she ever was sent back to her world. Even if he didn't play Balthazar, Nathaniel Buzlolic played Kol and he played that one shapeshifter on Supernatural that she had hoped for a spinoff of. A vibration shuddered the branches, leaves cascaded over them.

"That is your call. You are waking up." Cory nodded and sighed sadly.

"I know. I wished we could talk more." Death hummed once more,

"In due time, we will visit you together, quite soon."

"Okay, thank you, for everything. You're a good parent, Death." Death blinked and she shot out of bed coated with sweat. She looked at her phone and smiled. She retreated to sleep.

* * *

Elena walked out of her room and bumped into Jenna. Cory could hear their conversation from the kitchen. Loud morning at the Gilbert's, Bonnie and Caroline sat at the table chatting while waiting for Stefan. Cory had insisted that they had a family breakfast together, she had extended the invitation to friends and the two vampires. Who they only thought meant Stefan? Because she never mentioned telling Damon.

Last night he had texted her goodnight. How the vampire got her phone number? She assumed he took it from Stefan. So, she had told him about breakfast and invited him too. It wasn't like he couldn't show up whenever he wanted and he had been nice to her last night when she called him crying over a nightmare. She had been trying to call Bonnie because she had seen her die and it was horrible. From a vampire of some sort. Not a hybrid or anything just a vampire she didn't recognize. Surprisingly he calmed her faster than her friend would've and then swore that if she told anyone of what he did he'd kill her.

That was Damon for you.

"Do I look, adult, as in respectfully parental?" Jenna questioned the brunette.

"Depends where you're going," Elena responded; Cory imagined her eyebrow quirking upward.

"Jeremy's parent-teacher conference." Jenna moved to the mirror. "Hair up or down?"

"Sexy stewardess. Boozy housewife."

"Ah," Jenna gasped, "up it is. You're feisty today."

"After yesterday, I didn't think I would, but I feel good, which is rare. So, I decided to go with it. Fly free, walk on sunshine and all that stuff. Where is Jeremy?"

"Right here!" Jeremy appeared in the doorway of his room, looking better than he did yesterday. In his hand, he held a sketchbook. "I was just drawing something." Surprise swept over them both. Cory jumped up the stairs and grinned at the three. Finally decided to show herself after hiding near the stairs to watch the last half of the exchange.

"You guys, talk really loud, by the way. Come get some breakfast. I made some French toast, eggs," she scrunched her nose. "Bacon," she wasn't against meat it was just hard for her to eat animals that could think like a three-year-old. Or any animal at all. Cory had a feeling it had something to do with her being so close to nature. The doorbell rang and she shot to the door to let the vampires in. World jumping was so weird when you entered a reality that involved fantasy. She pondered, if her fantasy became reality then it really wasn't fantasy even when she didn't know it. _Time didn't exist after all_. She shook the thought away and cheerfully greeted the two

"Hey! Glad you two could make it!" Stefan's forehead was creased and Damon smirked beside him.

"Hello, sunshine, what's for breakfast." And the elder brother waltzed in as if he owned the place. Stefan sighed,

"I didn't know you called him."

"Breakfast for family, Stef. He's your brother whether you like it right now. And I'll let you in on a secret." Cory leaned towards the vampire lips curled into a wide smile. "I know his weakness. I know why he turned his humanity off. We'll change him. If not, the secret weapon will work." Lorenzo St. John. He was going to be saved once he got badass Bonnie and an Original or two. Probably, Elijah, she could make a deal with that one. That reminded her, she really needed to tell Klaus to call him and tell him the truth.

"Secret weapon, huh?" Damon leaned against the entryway. Stefan walked passed and greeted everyone while they narrowed their eyes at Damon's presence. An annoyed look was shot her way from Bonnie.

"Yep, I'll tell you when I need to." A beep sounded out, "The muffins!" Cory ran to the kitchen. A few chuckles tore from her friends and she playfully scowled.

"Not funny!" She called to them. Her friends. She smiled, it was nice to have friends for once. Jenna gave her a warm smile and asked her about school. She told Jenna that she shouldn't listen to anything Mr. Tanner says about Jeremy. She needed her to be prepared to listen to Mr. Tanner's backlash.

"He lost his parents, Mr. Tanner doesn't care. I'm working with Jeremy to get him caught up." Jenna sighed. "And, don't listen to him about your parenting skills okay?"

"Thank you, Cor."

"No problemo, Jens." She hoped today went well...

* * *

Stefan and Elena had repaired their relationship. How did she know? They wouldn't stop staring at each other this morning in Mr. Tanner's class. Cory needed him to get compelled so that Alaric could be here. He needed to help Damon with his loneliness. And be sort-of-but-not-24/7 best friend.

"Originally discovered nearly five centuries ago, it hasn't been over Mystic Falls in over 145 years." Five hundred years ago, huh. Mr. Tanner talked with his hands a lot.

"Mr. Tanner will catch you." She whispered to Stefan and texted Elena quick.

_Hey, I know he's cute, but please for your sake cease it._

**Cease it?**

_Lena, you're in a weird happy mood, but it will drop if Tanner catches the stares._

"Now the Comet will be at its brightest right after dusk during tomorrow's celebration." Right, she forgot the comet didn't happen today, but tomorrow. They always squeezed in days in the episodes. The bell rang and she cheered in her head. She stopped his reign of assholery. Nothing happened throughout the day. She talked to Jeremy at Art and he said he's going to his classes again, which she told him she was proud of him for doing it.

"I honestly would love to drop out," Cory whispered as she drew the view of the courtyard outside.

"What? Why?" He asked, leaning forward with his sketchbook slipping from the hold his elbows had on it, the page exposed a vampire drawing.

"That's really cool," she motioned with her charcoal and continued her shading. "I know half the classes. I hate being locked away from hours on end. And I'd rather be outside." Her gaze flickered to the door and her whole body tensed. There was no way in hell he was here. Klaus. He stood arguing about something to someone.

"I don't blame you," he laughed and followed her eyes. "Cor?" She blinked, but Klaus didn't disappear.

"I have to pee."

"TMI," she could only shrug and asked Mrs. Cole if she could leave. The minute she was in the hallway she could hear his angry words.

"And I told you that this was the only solution. Now, find the wolves or so help me, Isiah. I'll tear into every family member you have." Klaus clenched his hands and growled as he spun to face her. She didn't see Isiah, just Klaus. The link.

"Hello, love. Caught me at a bad time."

"I can hear that. So this is the link thing?"

"Yes, our lives bleed through into the other's in emotional and vulnerable moments." She nodded and crossed her arms.

"So that's why you're outside my art class?"

"Art class?" He sounded surprised and amused. He Mimicked her stance. She had to hand it to Klaus, he was good at evading conversation topics. _And Elijah said he wasn't a people person?_

"Yeah, I always wanted to learn more. My mother-," she shook her head. No. She was not having a heart to heart in the middle of a hallway at school with a person who might be halfway across the planet right now. "Never mind. It's not important."

"You're not a good liar." She scrunched her nose and scoffed.

"I am! I just convinced a vampire to work with me, so there. I am just not good at with y-forget it!" He laughed and looked her up and down. She would've said something, but he spoke up after it.

"Do you always wear that?"

"My hoodie, yeah, it's my favorite." She tugged at the bottom of it before stepping back, "why disapprove?" He rolled his eyes and stiffened.

"Vampire?" Klaus' eyes darkened. Was it something she said? It was just a vampire. When were vampires an issue?

"Yeah, I need him to do something for me. In exchange, I help him with something. In between there, we'll become friends, just you wait. When you get to town, I'll have lots of supernatural friends, Niklaus." Cory bit her lip, "You can befriend them too! You kind of need it." He chuckled at that. Then a smile crossed his features, a dark, chaotic kind of smile. He growled, walking into her back hit the wall behind her.

"Klaus?" Cory squeaked. Klaus smirked at the sound obviously enjoying her nervousness,

"I don't plan on being friends with them. They make one wrong move, one simple touch, and I'll rip their hearts out. No amount of anyone's going to stop _us_." He lowered his head until their noses nearly touched "understood, sweetheart?" _What the fuck_. She was torn from feeling one way to another. Why was he suddenly so possessive? His eyes were like oceans. They were a rich blue color.

"Thank you, love." Another crooked smile! Death take me away! She said that out loud! His face had gone blank a moment before flickering to that smile. Cory could've sworn, up and down, that he had turned a little pink. Just the smallest amount. Or it was the light, who knew?

"Okay, I wasn't going to let anyone disrupt our plans, Bad Wolf." She grinned at that. Yeah, that was a good nickname for him. It crossed with her two favorite things, Doctor Who and werewolves. Not Klaus. Okay? It was werewolves. She liked werewolves they were cool. Cory was digger herself a deeper grave in her head. Her eyes had blinked and suddenly he was gone, leaving her alone in the school hallway. The bell rang and the hallway filled, but it did nothing to settle the empty feeling that burned her. _One simple touch?_ Was he indirectly saying he was going to kill them if they merely touched her?

"Cor! Hey, you alright?" Jeremy held out her backpack as she absentmindedly accepted it and nodded. Pretending he hadn't startled her. The conversation lasted longer than she thought.

"Yeah, I had a talk with myself." Jeremy shrugged and chatted with on their way out towards the door to the parking lot. He was going to talk to Tyler to make amends because she couldn't stop bugging the two until they made up. Not to mention that Vicki broke up with Tyler. Cory didn't want to deal with so much at once. She could handle Damon and Stefan, everyone else, she had the upper hand. Klaus...she barely had something that could keep her afloat if she ever needed it. Otherwise, he knew things about her. Things she really needed to know. She had to go see Sheila with Bonnie.

* * *

"Well, I was talking to Grams and she said that the comet is a sign of impending doom The last time it passed over Mystic Falls, there was lots of death. So much blood and carnage. It created a bed of paranormal activity."

"Ew." Caroline said, "is this when Stefan and Damon were dealing with Katherine?"

"Yeah, they were alive then. Isn't that how Emily sealed the tomb?" Cory nodded at Elena's response,

"We can't open it without Bonnie and Sheila, not to mention that we should wait for Anna."

"So, then what?" Caroline pounced on Elena. Cory and Bonnie shared a look and a smile.

"So then nothing."

"You and Stefan talked all night? There was no sloppy first kiss or touchy-feely of any kind?"

"Nope, we didn't go there."

"Sadly," Cory sighed and glanced over the Grill. "What?" She asked when they gave her a look. "I support Stelena."

"Stelena?" Bonnie laughed with Caroline. Elena mouthed the word.

"Elena and Stefan, you know, together?"

"Wait, not even a handshake? I mean Elena. We are your friends, okay? You are supposed to share the smut." Bonnie frowned at that. She agreed she didn't need to here her best friend/surrogate sister talk about being with her new vampire best friend/surrogate brother.

"We just talked for hours."

"Okay, what is with the blockage? Just jump his bones already! Okay, it's easy." Caroline straightened up while Cory nodded in fake serious agreement. It was easy for them she supposed, but she didn't like the idea of being intimate so quick. "Girl likes boy, boy likes girl. Sex." Caroline smirked and Elean rolled her eyes.

"Profound." They made faces at each other while Bonnie and Cory shared another unamused glance. Then Elena thought about it. "Do I want to risk Damon to see Stefan?" She questioned the air.

"Yes. You do, despite the whole dangerous vampire thing. He might be there, just talk to Stefan."

"Oh, you're going to go for?" She nodded and slid up to grab her coat.

"You're right. It is easy. If I sit here long enough, I'll end up talking myself out of it instead of doing what I started the day saying I was going to do." Caroline beamed and wished her good luck.

"Alright, back to dinner."

* * *

Coming home to the Forbes' house with Caroline chatting away about the preparations for tomorrow night. Cory felt good. She just needed some friends to take that weird feeling she had after Klaus vanished. And ignore his odd reaction to her being around vampires or the compliment she accidentally gave.

"Okay, what is wrong with you? You've been so quiet today?" Jenna said that talking to Tanner was just as bad as it had been, something she barely changed by letting Jeremy know about the supernatural and kind of swaying Vicki into breaking up with Tyler. Vicki had called her saying that Cory was right. She needed time to herself before getting into a relationship right now. Elena had spent time at the boarding house, dodging Damon and not doubting Stefan because she already knew about Katherine and their exact appearance. It still surprised Cory that she had moved on from him being a vampire really quick.

Of course, she had been there convincing them all that Stefan needed the support, they had yet to hear about his Ripper days. Why did she hear Klaus say that in her head? It was one of the things she found endearing about him. Now was she talking about the person who brought him to life, Joseph Morgan or was she slowly getting more attached to him?

Cory had skipped going to Sheila's she was mentally exhausted from the bonfire party. Bonnie did say though that she had learned some cool things from her Grams, and she was excited about magic now. She sighed and turned to face her surrogate sister.

"I'm tired from being a seer." She admitted, "it takes a lot out of me. And I really am sorry." There wasn't much to say. She just wanted to turn her brain off for a good few hours.

"It's fine, you were in a coma not that long ago and Damon attacked you. Ugh." She burned with anger, "if he tries to hurt you again, I'm staking his balls to a roof and taking that damn ring off." Cory tried to cover her mouth from laughing so loud, but it failed as they dissolved into happy tears.

"I love you, Care. Truly."

"I love you too, so what movie are we watching?" She smirked at her in a you-know kind of way.

"The Notebook?"

"The Notebook." They grinned and took over the living room. Liz was home early for once and the three of them ate snacks and watched a few episodes of Charmed before Caroline declared that they needed beauty sleep for the comet tomorrow. Cory went to sleep the happiest she'd been in a long time...

* * *

**I highly recommend Ella Enchanted by the way. And to report, it is snowing where I live. Not like an inch, literally a foot of snow and it's April...Nature please, its spring now, we don't need the snow. Anyway, thanks for reading! I have been thinking about a schedule and I plan on posting four times a week at the minimum. Which I think will be Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday. Otherwise, I'm trying to post every day if my brain allows me.**


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